Tamworth History Group invites people to enlarge and share their knowledge and recollections of local history in a warm social setting in Tamworth, Staffordshire. We meet on the second Thursday of each month.
The group maintains strong links with the library and have worked together with them for many years. Tamworth History Group were established by a few researchers looking at Tamworth's long and varied history and heritage and has grown from those original three to a list of more than 60, of which over half attend meetings. Twice a year we organise outings to view churches, museums, stately homes - and have worked with other similarly minded groups in boosting numbers for their projects and events.
The group's strong points are well known and often utilised by others. Recently the collections officer at Tamworth Castle and Museum asked for help in cataloguing some documents detailing the large farm once occupying the area now forming the Stonydelph housing estate. A long and yet fascinating task which will be added to the town's museum records and will provide a talk for the history group and maybe others.
Research has also produced a book. The Walk Through Market Street detailing the long and fascinating story of Tamworth's most iconic and historic thoroughfare. Almost 500 copies have been sold and a follow-up on what was once Tamworth's longest and much reminisced about street, Bolebridge Street, is currently being written.
The group have held talks to inform and inspire so many Tamworth residents who have gone on to produce their own family histories and/or histories of their home and/or street; resulting in presentations from members, and led to the group fundraising to purchase a laptop computer in order to record memories and research results to create a unique oral history of the town.
Our meetings have seen many individuals coming along and becoming not only members but actively involved in helping to run group. The diversity of the membership is only restricted by the time we meet – in the future it seems likely we will need to organise a more accessible time for the younger age groups who work or attend education.
