Ampthill and District Preservation Society
The Annual General Meeting
Tuesday 9 May 2023 at 7.30pm
Chapter House, St Andrew’s Church, Ampthill
AGENDA
Current Committee Members – 2023
Chairman: Co-opted Chairperson Sarah Wright ***
Vice-Chairman Mr A Sewell
Secretary: Vacant***
Treasurer and Membership Secretary: Mr James Gibb
Planning Officer and Countryside officer: Mr John Boothby (Resigning)
Programme Secretary: Mrs Mariella Cook
Alameda and Park Officer: Mrs Jo Leary
Communication and Social Media Mrs Mariella Cook
Webmaster and Technical Support Co-opted Mr John Leary ***
Member: Mrs Valerie Therkildsen
Member: Mrs Sandra Read (Acting as Minute Secretary)
Member: Mr John Mower
*** up for election and willing to stand/serve.
Sarah Wright – Proposed by Mariella Cook, Seconded by John Mower
John Leary – Proposed by Sandra Read, Seconded by Mariella Cook
Secretary – Sandra Read, Proposed by Valerie Therkildsen, Seconded by James Gibb
Committee Volunteer Members would be most welcome. Meetings are convivial and held every 6-8 weeks, so the commitment is not onerous. If you would like to join us, please speak to any of the committee members or email membership@adps.org.uk
Sarah Wright
Sarah has lived in Millbrook since 1999 but has family links with the Ampthill area which go much further back. Her paternal grandparents were from Millbrook and Ampthill, marrying at the Methodist Church in 1927 and her father was brought up in Flitwick. Furthermore, a great, great aunt used to run the Old Sweet Shop in Woburn Street and her great grandfather on her mother’s side was the one-time publican of the King’s Arms. Family History research has shown that she had relatives living in Dunstable Street as far back as 1757!
Sarah was brought up in the nearby village of Wootton and attended Dame Alice Harpur School in Bedford before completing her degree at Trinity College, Cambridge and a PGCE at New College, Oxford.
She then spent 4 years as a History teacher at Watford Grammar School for Boys, before moving to Bedford Modern School. Here, she was Head of History for 19 years between 2003 and 2022 and since September 2023 she has taken up the new post of Head of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion.
She is a regular contributor to Hindsight GCSE History magazine, published by Hodder and since 2014 has been involved in a project to transcribe, research and publish the family papers of Keynes family, especially focussing on those of Geoffrey Keynes and his wife Margaret Darwin.
Sarah is a keen supporter of all the different aims of ADPS and hopes that the society is able to go from strength to strength.
Would you like to be involved in an exciting new project dedicated to bringing the more recent history of Ampthill alive?
To engage with long-standing residents of Ampthill and around, to collect and record memories of Ampthill Past in the form of stories, photos, interviews, videos etc.
The records will be uploaded and stored on our website initially, and access will be made available to the public through membership.
Through a previous project that we were involved with, we have access to recording equipment and have permission to borrow it.
Those wishing to become involved in this project can help in many ways, e.g., recruiting residents for interviews, interviewing residents, researching topics, writing up memories, transcribing recordings, general help, and admin etc.
All volunteers will be asked to sign a confidentiality agreement to ensure privacy is maintained for individuals participating and all records will be centrally maintained.
Get involved now and help to share Ampthill memories for posterity
An article published in “The Oracle” Autumn 2022
John Hele has agreed to lead a programme of walks around Ampthill in 2023. Below is the proposed programme of walks as of January 2023, keep checking back for details as they become available. The walks are open to members only, if you want to join the society, click here.
Tuesday evening 7.30pm
A town the age of Ampthill seems to have more than its fair share of ghost stories, with more coming to light all the time. Come and hear these stories together with other historical facts about the town. View Details
Saturday afternoon 2pm
There is no doubt that the north-east quadrant of Ampthill has more interesting historical facts and stories than the whole of the rest of the town. Including the church, which we shall visit and also Church Street which has Royal connections, the tour will also show how Ampthill once prospered and then declined. View Details
Saturday afternoon 2pm
Please note: date changed from the 24th
For its size, Ampthill has one of the largest graveyards in the county. There are some fascinating characters buried there with interesting stories to be told. The tour covers some sad stories together with memorials and graves of the Lords and Ladies with fascinating stories to tell. View Details
Saturday afternoon 2pm
With any town of the age of Ampthill there are going to be those interesting little features that you probably walk past every day and never notice. This walk explores the town and highlights the hidden gems and why they are there, including the various graveyards in the town.
Saturday afternoon 2pm
Please note: date changed from the 9th
Ampthill Park has had an enormous influence on the town, from prehistoric times to the present day. This walk around the park will highlight a whole range of historical features and why they are there, as well as piecing together how various historical events have contributed to the nation’s historical past.
Saturday afternoon 2pm
The Civil War and both World Wars have had a marked influence on the development of the town. We look at why Ampthill has four war memorials! As well as visiting important buildings in the town that were used for wartime activities.
