Great Gidding History Day – Report, photos and time-lapse video

Great Gidding History Day - Report, photos and time-lapse video

Another very successful History Day was held at Great Gidding Village Hall on the 18th of October.

Lots of visitors attended, some bringing information and others seeking it. The History team had prepared displays and information boards showing properties around the village both past and present.

Questions were posed about who lived where and when, dating of photographs and maps was another challenge.

A separate display highlighted those Great Gidding residents who served in the First World War, who survived and more poignantly who perished.

A new feature this time round was an archeological dig to find out what lay beneath the top soil of Great Gidding. See photos.

To help fortify visitors a “Tea Room” was set up in the Small Hall.

Lots of thank you’s to all the visitors on the day, the History Group team, Mr & Mrs Alexander for hosting the dig, Phil Hill for his archeological expertise and for running the “dig”  Joan Chiswell and team for running the “Tea Room”  Sawtry History Society for the loan of photographs and material and all the folks who provided pin boards for the displays.

However think the biggest thank you should go to Patrick Ellis who has lifted the lid on village life both in recent and distant past. His book and continuing  studies have enthralled many in the village and beyond.

Thank you Patrick.

Time-lapse film of Great Gidding History Day

A time-lapse film recording all the activity surrounding the very successful History Day. I hope you will see this as a record of the day and as a historic document in its self. It will be interesting to see how a You tube video and other digital media helps historians of the future. 

For the technical aspect the camera used was a Brinno TLC 200 mounted on a tripod and set to record a picture every second (NB. The video has been speeded up by 200%). The lighting was just daylight and the normal hall light. The camera aperture is F1.2 with a fixed field of view of 140°.

Video: Michael Trolove

Photo gallery

ARCHAEOLOGY In Great Gidding

ARCHAEOLOGY  In Great Gidding

The Great Gidding History Group has been offered the opportunity of having test pits dug by a group of young archaeologists. They are looking for sites where they can dig a test pit on the weekend of Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th October. The test pit will require an area of approx. 1 metre square (or round) to be dug.

What interesting finds might be hidden?
Would you be willing to give permission, and access, for them to dig an area on your property on both days? If so please e-mail: julie.trolove@gmail.com or phone 01832 293591

UPDATE – Village History Day

UPDATE - Village History Day

Great Gidding History Day

This Saturday, new material,new maps, new documents.

History Day Update

History Day takes place between 11am and 5pm on Saturday 18th October, in the Village Hall. There will be a display of photographs and documents showing Who Lived Where, in addition we have researched those villagers who served in World War 1, and this will be accompanied by work from the schoolchildren on World War 2. We will have a series of village maps and aerial photographs on view.

Help the archaeologist

Also an archaeologist will be digging a test pit (or 2) on the day and continuing into the Sunday too – he is wanting people who will join him in excavating the test pit and cleaning and cataloging the finds. Most important – we want people to bring along photographs and documents, and memories, of the Giddings. Entry is FREE (donations to the History Group would be most welcome). Refreshments will be available.

This years Village History Day

18th October 2014

The 2014 Village History day will be an update on what has been discovered since the last Open Day ( 3 years ago ) In addition we would like to meet people who have had connections to the village in the past and to see photographs / documents that have been unearthed from cupboards.

World War 1 researcher

The Gidding History Group is looking for a World War 1 enthusiast, someone to research the impact on the Giddings and those involved in the conflict.
We will display the findings at the Village History Day

Featured Image details

This is a north easterly view along Main Street. Outwardly nothing has changed. The steps are the same but different now. The distant cottage has been demolished and has just been rebuilt in 2013/14 in the interim it was a pony paddock and riding school.

Great Gidding History Day

Great Gidding History Day

3 Years have passed since the last History day and more information and photographs have come to light

Saturday 18th October, 11 AM to 5 PM at Great Gidding Village Hall

 

Come and see who lived where and when

Find out more about past residents of the  village

 

We have researched those villagers who served in World War I, but would be interested to learn more. We also want to hear more about your memories of World War II.

A local archaeologist will join us – have you found something interesting in your garden, if so bring it along.

In fact please bring any documents and photographs you have relating to Great, Little and Steeple Gidding

Entry is free ( but a donation to Great Gidding History Group would be most welcome)

Drink and biscuits will be available throughout the day

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Millennium History of Great Gidding

Due to popular demand this fascinating book by Patrick Ellis & David Shepherd has been re-printed. Full of wonderful photos and facts of how the Giddings once were, the book contains 40 colour and 20 black/white modern photos and 80 black/white historical photos, plus 7 maps. A must for anyone living in and around the Giddings, for those who used to know the area or a delightful present to send to relatives living at a distance.

A Millennium History of Great Gidding

Price £15 (plus Post and Packing)

Available from Great Gidding Shop and also from
Julie Trolove
Email: julie.trolove@gmail.com
Phone 01832 293 598

History Group meeting dates 2013/14

History Group meeting dates 2013/14

Great Gidding History Group
The group meets on the third Wednesday of each month between September and April. 7.30PM start time. The meetings are very informal – chatting and exchanging memories, sometimes photos or objects are brought in for discussion.
The next meeting dates are:

Wednesday 18th September
Wednesday 16th October
Wednesday 20st November
Wednesday 18th December
Wednesday 15th January
Wednesday 26th February
Wednesday 19th March
Wednesday 16th April
The venue will be the Village Hall unless otherwise stated.

Photos: Great Gidding Gala July 2013 – History Walk

The first Giddings event of Gala Week kicked off with a wonderful tour yesterday evening of Anglo Saxon Great Gidding, led by archaeology historian Josie Barnacle and ably aided by Patrick Ellis.

Instead of peering over the gates, it was a delight to be able to walk across fields that had been opened especially for the event and to see the location of the old windmill, hollow ways and indications of Anglo Saxon housing platforms. The sun shone as we wandered along the old road, sloping down from the site of the windmill to where the open marketplace had once bustled.

Further round and we saw part of the moat that possibly once encircled an old manor house, from there leading on to St Michael’s Church via Church Lane – now commonly known to all as ‘the jitty’ (or should we spell that with a ‘g’ as we’re in GG).

Josie had handed out maps at the start of the walk – some dating from 1641 and others from a later date, so it was very interesting to follow our track and see how the settlement had expanded away from the original location. Many facts, stories and anecdotes were imparted throughout the walk and many thanks to the Gala committee and Michael & Julie for tip top refreshments at the end of the walk.

September History Group Meeting

September History Group Meeting

One of our aircraft is missing……………

Local history researcher, Chris Hughes, will give a talk and slide show on RAF Molesworth,  the WWII activities and stories of some of the planes that were stationed there, and bring us to date with the role of the Base in mote recent years.

Join us on Wednesday 19th September, 7.30PM start

at Great Giddding Village Hall

Free Entry (donations to Gidding History Grouo)

Tea, coffee and biscuits will be available.

Everyone is welcome and Chris would love to hear personal stories and experiences connected to RAF Molesworth and other local bases, and to see any” finds” that people may have kept as souvenirs from the crash sites.

About The History group

About The History group

General information about the Group:
Meetings take place on the third Wednesday (September to April) and are very informal (no committee or agenda) and quite often we are just chatting about times past and memories, you don’t have to attend each one but would be really pleased if you would like to join us. The venue is usually the Fox and Hounds Pub and sometimes the Village Hall.

We have a growing collection of recordings of Gidding villagers talking about their memories – if you would like to take part please contact us. We have recently started to gather together photographs, newspaper articles and documents which have been generously donated to the Group and will be stored at the Village Hall. We welcome any additions to this collection, so please don’t throw anything away that may be of interest to the Group and/or future researchers of village/family/local history – what you may think is rubbish could be just what someone else is looking for.

History Group Meeting

History Group Meeting

The Village History Group met on Wednesday 18th April and viewed the photographs that were “discovered” during the History Day, held in October 2011. The next occasion we meet will be Wednesday 19th September, when there will be a speaker on Local World War II airbases, everyone will be welcome to join us and, as details are still to be confirmed, there will be an update published in the July/August edition of the Parish News, and on this website.