#thatcham — Public Fediverse posts

https://www.europesays.com/videos/17479/ Murder inquiry after man in his 30s dies in Bracknell town | ITV News Meridian (Thames Valley) #Aldershot #Alton #AmexStadium #Berkshire #Bracknell #CulhamLock #HMSVictory #itv #ItvNews #ITVNewsInFull #itvmeridian #itvnewsmeridian #KassamStadium #OxfordUnited #Oxfordshire #ThamesPath #ThamesValley #Thatcham #US #Women'sFootball

TIL: #Automotive #research centre Thatcham Research is indeed called that because its based in #Thatcham (near #Newbury in Southern England)

I'm surprised so many people don't wear a #seatBelt in #cars even today - I can remember when they were uncomfortable and ill-fitting but they have vastly improved over the years and I almost feel naked if I haven't put mine on..

#RoadSafety #UK

https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2026-03-24/why-uk-drivers-could-face-tougher-penalties-for-not-wearing-a-seat-belt

TIL: #Automotive #research centre Thatcham Research is indeed called that because its based in #Thatcham (near #Newbury in Southern England)

I'm surprised so many people don't wear a #seatBelt in #cars even today - I can remember when they were uncomfortable and ill-fitting but they have vastly improved over the years and I almost feel naked if I haven't put mine on..

#RoadSafety #UK

https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2026-03-24/why-uk-drivers-could-face-tougher-penalties-for-not-wearing-a-seat-belt

TIL: #Automotive #research centre Thatcham Research is indeed called that because its based in #Thatcham (near #Newbury in Southern England)

I'm surprised so many people don't wear a #seatBelt in #cars even today - I can remember when they were uncomfortable and ill-fitting but they have vastly improved over the years and I almost feel naked if I haven't put mine on..

#RoadSafety #UK

https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2026-03-24/why-uk-drivers-could-face-tougher-penalties-for-not-wearing-a-seat-belt

TIL: #Automotive #research centre Thatcham Research is indeed called that because its based in #Thatcham (near #Newbury in Southern England)

I'm surprised so many people don't wear a #seatBelt in #cars even today - I can remember when they were uncomfortable and ill-fitting but they have vastly improved over the years and I almost feel naked if I haven't put mine on..

#RoadSafety #UK

https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2026-03-24/why-uk-drivers-could-face-tougher-penalties-for-not-wearing-a-seat-belt

TIL: #Automotive #research centre Thatcham Research is indeed called that because its based in #Thatcham (near #Newbury in Southern England)

I'm surprised so many people don't wear a #seatBelt in #cars even today - I can remember when they were uncomfortable and ill-fitting but they have vastly improved over the years and I almost feel naked if I haven't put mine on..

#RoadSafety #UK

https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2026-03-24/why-uk-drivers-could-face-tougher-penalties-for-not-wearing-a-seat-belt

Have been doing a bit more work on refreshing my website, got a few news posts to go, just need to finish the podcast section off - things are progressing. In mean time continuing research on Dunston House, #Thatcham - see https://nickbits.co.uk/blog/2023/10/the-dunston-estate/ . Got a few new names connected to it, would like to track down what happened to materials that were sold off, know some already. Thinking this is going to be a BIG research project

Have been doing a bit more work on refreshing my website, got a few news posts to go, just need to finish the podcast section off - things are progressing. In mean time continuing research on Dunston House, #Thatcham - see https://nickbits.co.uk/blog/2023/10/the-dunston-estate/ . Got a few new names connected to it, would like to track down what happened to materials that were sold off, know some already. Thinking this is going to be a BIG research project

Have been doing a bit more work on refreshing my website, got a few news posts to go, just need to finish the podcast section off - things are progressing. In mean time continuing research on Dunston House, #Thatcham - see https://nickbits.co.uk/blog/2023/10/the-dunston-estate/ . Got a few new names connected to it, would like to track down what happened to materials that were sold off, know some already. Thinking this is going to be a BIG research project

Wondering where the name #Thatcham comes from? Check out my @nickbits blog at https://nickbits.co.uk/blog/2022/05/a-history-of-the-name-thatcham/ or watch the video I did for #AllAboutThatPlace in 2023 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1U9jYQTqwjE

Even with the rain still some nice strolls around the old tracks around #Thatcham. Nice stroll around #Henwick. Look around carefully, evidence of coppicing, pollarding, ancient boundaries, trackways, ditches, etc.

Many thanks to those that replied, I now have identified all the places the model cottages in #Thatcham were named after. Map below of the names. Will do a write up to go on the @nickbits blog shortly.

We have model cottages in #Thatcham built for the workers of Colthrop Paper Mill. The owner of the mill came from #Scotland and thus the houses seem to have been named after places in Scotland. The names are:

Aulia, Balerno, Clynder, Dunolly, Errol, Forres, Glenelg, Holyrood, Iona, Jura, Kelsa, Lasswade

I know most, but the first one eludes me, can anyone point me to it, or is it a typo. Defiantly 5 letters starting and ending with an A.

And here we go the post about the history of the Dunston
Estate in #Thatcham on my @nickbits blog https://nickbits.co.uk/blog/2023/10/the-dunston-estate/. Longest post done for a while but only a snippet of the history, more yet to write up.

Busy few weeks with #history talks and going to continue for a bit with #Thatcham Festival ( https://issuu.com/thatchamtowncouncil/docs/festival_brochure_2023_a5_24pp_v4.pdf_16_ ) starts on Friday. Lots of events going on including Sunday where I will be giving a history walk/talk around the cemetery, and then a short talk on the manor house in #Thatcham, Dunston House. See
@nickbits blog https://nickbits.co.uk/blog/2017/12/dunston-house/

Some amazing 'places' #history talks today, and fantastic talks over last few days, as part of the #AllAboutThatPlace event. And a great one coming up very soon on #Thatcham. You can join in over at https://www.facebook.com/groups/allaboutthatplace or take a look at the SoG YouTube page at https://www.youtube.com/@SocietyofGenealogists/videos.

More local #history today with a painting from just prior to the restoration of #Thatcham Parish Church in 1857. The monuments/memorials were saved and are largely in the church tower now. We can have a good guess from the painting, assuming it is accurate, where some of those were originally.

Busy period for local #history talks now. #Thatcham history talk given to Tadley History Group on Monday, next week talking about #Newbury with NDFC (http://www.ndfc.org.uk/info.php?link=2309a), following with Thatcham Historical Society ( https://www.thatchamhistoricalsociety.org.uk/events/ ) then onto multiple talks at Thatcham Festival in October. Oh and not forgetting #AllAboutThatPlace.

This month (Sept) Will be speaking about #Thatcham history at Tadley & District History Society ( https://www.tadshistory.com/https:/www.tadshistory.com/thatcham_in_old_photographs/ ) as well as at @thatchamhistory ( https://www.thatchamhistoricalsociety.org.uk/events/ ) & part of #AllAboutThatPlace / #OnePlace https://www.subscribepage.com/allaboutthatplace.

Mentioned in my #history posts before #Thatcham manor became property of General Waring in 1722. c.1725 he had enclosed Dunston Park & built a Manor House, Dunston House. This is the only known painting, I am still trying to track the original watercolour down.

Have had a slight diversion this week and been progressing my #Thatcham school histories with several boarding schools from the 18th & 19th centuries. So far got names & location, will put a bit in a @nickbits blog post at some point. In short two main ones are "Miss Machin, Boarding School" and "Misses Fleet's Boarding School". More detail to be researched at a later date.

Another one from my collection. Wyatt, Family Butcher, Game Dealer & Poulterer, #Thatcham from c.1909. Est. c.1893 by Robert Wyatt. Robert died in 1931 and Lionel Baker kept the butchers shop running. The building was, in 2009, demolished & rebuilt with residential & commercial properties. Archaeological excavations were undertaken with various finds made including possible flint, medieval wall and Victorian tiled floor.

Working on the Tudor to the present periods for the @yesterdaysthatcham #podcast, recording them later this week. Getting close to being ready/happy to launch. Are there any questions about the history of #Thatcham, or district you would like answered?

Continuing my #Thatcham #history research, specifically the pubs, and I now have a picture to put with at least one more, Charles Albert James, c.1911 of the Black Horse. He served in the Army (Boer & WWI). Was landlord from early 1900s, was still landlord in 1939.

Have been researching the history of the local (#Thatcham) pubs (and bit around the area) for a while. Got a few written up but think one of the most interesting, of which I am still trying to find more details of, is the Green Dragon (later the Waggon & Horses). It appears in Midgham but also shows in Colthrop records. Right on the boundary! See the @nickbits blog https://nickbits.co.uk/blog/2017/10/green-dragon/

Using #Stablediffusion to continue my journey on creating some #aiart images based on historical scenes. Here trying to recreate, or get close to, scenes/buildings that once existed in #Thatcham. A rural scene looking towards a village and the other a Georgian Manor House.

Mark Tuck was the last person to be placed in the stocks in England, this took place in #Newbury. Just a few miles away in #Thatcham there were a number put in the stocks as late as 1852 including one Berkshire Blake. Find out more about him on the @nickbits blog at https://nickbits.co.uk/blog/2022/03/berkshire-blake-and-the-stocks/ #history

Did you know bordering #Thatcham, #ColdAsh and #Bucklebury is Ramsbury Corner Hill Fort. Find out more at see https://www.megalithic.co.uk/article.php?sid=31716 / @megalithic. Been various finds from the area including Roman over the years. #hillfortswednesday

Two @nickbits blog posts for the end of the week on #Thatcham #History - I am still researching the Saxon origins of modern Thatcham (https://nickbits.co.uk/blog/2022/08/rethinking-saxon-thatcham/) along with the development of the name ( ahttps://nickbits.co.uk/blog/2022/05/a-history-of-the-name-thatcham/)

So far I have not found anywhere else called #Thatcham, however plenty of other places called #Newbury around the world with some having a connection back to Newbury, Berkshire, UK. Read more at https://nickbits.co.uk/blog/2020/12/newbury-around-the-world/

Have loved researching the #history "Barkshire" Blake - although we write "Berkshire Blake" today. His real name was Thomas Blake born c.1802 in #Thatcham. Various crimes and was the (probably) last person to be placed in the stocks at Thatcham. (Side note, the last person in the country was a Mark Tuck in 1872 at #Newbury). Still more of the #FamilyHistory to research. See story so far:- https://nickbits.co.uk/blog/2022/03/berkshire-blake-and-the-stocks/

My website, https://nickbits.co.uk/, covers many snippets of my local (#Thatcham & #Newbury) research and more. Do take a look.

Start of the week, lets start of with the start of the origin of the names #Thatcham & #Newbury, both of which are on the @nickbits blog at https://nickbits.co.uk/blog/2022/05/a-history-of-the-name-thatcham/ & https://nickbits.co.uk/blog/2021/04/the-name-of-newbury/

Continuing to attempt to unravel the #history of Ham Mill(s) in #Newbury (originally #Thatcham). It was Ham Mill and looks to be on the River Lambourn but changed 1700 - 1800 and became Ham Mills maps showing two mills. More on my @nickbits blog - https://nickbits.co.uk/blog/2017/11/ham-mill-or-mills/

My second #history talk of the year is coming up on 8th Feb 2023, organised by West Berkshire Museum and will cover, briefly, the history of #Thatcham. https://booking.westberks.gov.uk/heritage_events.html?event_id=1376837&companyId=37003

I gave a #history talk not long ago on the #archaeology of the area (#Newbury / #Thatcham) and surprised to find most of the audience didn't know about the The Portable Antiquities Scheme. Such a wealth of objects recorded, do take a look. https://finds.org.uk/database/artefacts/record/id/1022812

Starting from the poor quality image of the 1888 #Roman Urn found in #Thatcham, I have used some tools to redraw it. I will try and see if I can track down the actual urn too, a task for later in the year.

The #Roman period in #Thatcham is just one of the many #history topics I am continuing to research. The course of the road is one problematic issue, the exact nature of any settlement, and so forth. Short piece on my @nickbits blog - https://nickbits.co.uk/blog/2019/05/roman-thatcham/ - which I hope to expand on later this year.

Have just updated my list of #Thatcham (and a few #Newbury) history talks I do - see @nickbits https://nickbits.co.uk/about/mytalks/ . The view below is of Broad Street, Thatcham as it was c.1900, and yes at the time it was a village and not a town - https://nickbits.co.uk/blog/2024/08/thatcham-a-village-or-town/

Have just updated my list of #Thatcham (and a few #Newbury) history talks I do - see @nickbits https://nickbits.co.uk/about/mytalks/ . The view below is of Broad Street, Thatcham as it was c.1900, and yes at the time it was a village and not a town - https://nickbits.co.uk/blog/2024/08/thatcham-a-village-or-town/

Have just updated my list of #Thatcham (and a few #Newbury) history talks I do - see @nickbits https://nickbits.co.uk/about/mytalks/ . The view below is of Broad Street, Thatcham as it was c.1900, and yes at the time it was a village and not a town - https://nickbits.co.uk/blog/2024/08/thatcham-a-village-or-town/

The latest Blue Plaque for #Thatcham at the old deopt site. Will do a blog post soon with more information.

The latest Blue Plaque for #Thatcham at the old deopt site. Will do a blog post soon with more information.

The latest Blue Plaque for #Thatcham at the old deopt site. Will do a blog post soon with more information.

Following on from my Walk For Hearts for the BHF ( https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/TeamDeeds-2026-WalkForHearts ) I will be giving a #Thatcham history talk for the Mayor of Thatcham in aid of Home-Start West Berkshire, Swings & Smiles and Bridge for Young People - details at https://thatchamtowncouncil.gov.uk/event/thatcham-in-old-photographs/

Following on from my Walk For Hearts for the BHF ( https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/TeamDeeds-2026-WalkForHearts ) I will be giving a #Thatcham history talk for the Mayor of Thatcham in aid of Home-Start West Berkshire, Swings & Smiles and Bridge for Young People - details at https://thatchamtowncouncil.gov.uk/event/thatcham-in-old-photographs/

Following on from my Walk For Hearts for the BHF ( https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/TeamDeeds-2026-WalkForHearts ) I will be giving a #Thatcham history talk for the Mayor of Thatcham in aid of Home-Start West Berkshire, Swings & Smiles and Bridge for Young People - details at https://thatchamtowncouncil.gov.uk/event/thatcham-in-old-photographs/

I will be talking to Bucklebury History Group (see https://www.hugofox.com/community/bucklebury-history-group-20816/events/the-cedars---dr-nick-young-89701 ) in February about some of the historic houses in #Thatcham including the Poplars ( see https://nickbits.co.uk/blog/2025/03/the-poplars/ ) and Dunston House (see https://nickbits.co.uk/blog/2023/10/the-dunston-estate/).

I will be talking to Bucklebury History Group (see https://www.hugofox.com/community/bucklebury-history-group-20816/events/the-cedars---dr-nick-young-89701 ) in February about some of the historic houses in #Thatcham including the Poplars ( see https://nickbits.co.uk/blog/2025/03/the-poplars/ ) and Dunston House (see https://nickbits.co.uk/blog/2023/10/the-dunston-estate/).

I will be talking to Bucklebury History Group (see https://www.hugofox.com/community/bucklebury-history-group-20816/events/the-cedars---dr-nick-young-89701 ) in February about some of the historic houses in #Thatcham including the Poplars ( see https://nickbits.co.uk/blog/2025/03/the-poplars/ ) and Dunston House (see https://nickbits.co.uk/blog/2023/10/the-dunston-estate/).