Chairman's 2005/2006 Report

Dear Members,

The Society’s officers and committee heard with regret of the recent death of Mike Vernon who had for many years been an active member of the Society and its committees. He contributed fascinating (and often explosive) lectures and his unsurpassed knowledge of arms and armaments from prehistoric to modern times was of great value to the Society. He has left the Society two “Sedgemoor swords”.

There were well attended meetings last season which included myself discussing Thomas Hawkins, Glastonbury’s own pioneering palaeontologist; Gerry Sampson showing us his detailed work on the building stages of the Abbey Church; Gerry Sampson and I exploring the records and remains at Edgarley of the Abbey carvings surviving from the 18th and 19th century antiquarians; and Nancy and Charles Hollinrake speaking of the Irish connection at the Abbey.

Since the closure of the Society’s exhibition in the rear of the first floor of the Tribunal—and the subsequent lack of any interpretation area showing the development of the town of Glastonbury—your committee has commenced discussions with Glastonbury Town Council about the possible provision of another display area within the Town Hall where some of the Society’s material could form the basis of a public exhibition.

Your committee is planning an update and a print run of 1,500 copies of “The Lake Villages of Somerset” which the Society published jointly with Somerset Museum Service in 1996. We plan to make copies available in Somerset schools and libraries. Stephanie Morland has prepared a schools worksheet to be available for young people visiting the Society’s Lake Village exhibition. A reprint of the leaflet describing the Society and its Lake Village exhibition in the Tribunal has been ordered.

The major part of our library is catalogued and housed in secure cases in the Glastonbury Library. To make use of this facility members are invited to contact the Society’s Librarian, David Orchard, who is available at the Library on Monday afternoons between 2.00pm and 4.00pm. We are grateful to David for providing this service.

Desmond Miller, our Honorary Secretary, points out that not all members are up to date with the payment of their subscriptions. We have a modest subscription rate: £5 a year or £7.50 for Family Membership. Membership of the Society brings unlimited access to the exhibition0of our Lake Village artefacts above the TIC in the Tribunal and0to our antiquarian and local history library as well as attendance at the season’s lectures. We0hope that all will feel able to help Desmond make our membershi` list complete with paid-up members.

I look forward to mueting you at the AGM and at our lecture evenings and thank you for your continuing support.
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Yours sincerely
Neill Bonham
Chairman