Bourne Society Forum Meetings
Indoor forum meetings are held at de Stafford School, Burntwood Lane, Caterham. Please note that the November meeting will take place in the Main Hall as usual, but the October and December meetings will be held in the Jenkins Suite. Refreshments are served from 7.00 pm for a 7.30 start. Please note that dates of meetings and other events are liable to change due to unforeseen circumstances. This page will always provide the latest information.
Indoor Meetings
Wednesday, 1 October 2025: The London Alps, War Heroes and Spies. Ian Mitchell, Tatsfield’s historian, will talk about the fascinating history of Tatsfield, marketed as ‘The London Alps’ 100 years ago. Since then there has been more than one distinguished WW2 warrior: Burgess and Maclean and two heads of Scotland Yard’s anti-terrorist branch.
Wednesday, 5 November 2025: Whyteleafe Village. Roger Packham, chair of the Bourne Society, will give an illustrated talk on the historic development of the village. He will use images from his postcard collection.
Wednesday, 3 December 2025: A Century of Change in Smitham Bottom. Paul Sandford, president of the Bourne Society, will present changes over time of civic amenities and urban landscape in Purley and Coulsdon Town. This meeting will provide seasonal refreshments.
Wednesday, 7 January 2026: Mountwood House in Sanderstead. Phil Swallow will tell the interesting story of the house and its owners, some of which had international reach.
Wednesday, 4 February 2026: 125 Years of Queen’s Park, Caterham. The chair of the Friends of Queen’s Park, Rachel Starling, will tell the story of the park from 1900 to the present day.
Landscape History Walks
Detailed information about timings, distances, meeting points and levels of difficulty are given in Local History Records, volume 116, summer 2025.
Friday, 31 October 2025: Chipstead and Shabden Park Walk
Landscape History Walks will resume in March 2026. See LHR, volume 118 (February 2026).
Pub & Brewery History Group
Friday, 31 October 2025: The White Hart, Hazelwood Rd, Chipstead, CR5 3QW. A combined visit with the Landscape History Group.
Thursday, 20 November 2025: The Pembroke, Chipstead Valley Road, Coulsdon Town.
Visits will resume in April 2026. Please see Local History Records, volumes 116 and 117 for details of how to join the meetings.
Sanderstead Local History Group
Meetings of the Sanderstead group take place in All Saints’ Church Hall on the last Wednesday in the month, doors open at 1.45 pm, meeting at 2.00 pm. For further details please go to the group’s website where there is a contact page for enquiries.
There is no meeting in August.
Wednesday, 24 September 2025: Chaldon Court: a Medieval Mystery? Dated to 1366, Madeline Hutchins will reveal what is known and what is unknown about this building.
Wednesday, 29 October 2025: Pacitti Ice Cream. How a family from Italy came to Croydon as organ grinders and founded the Premier Ice Cream Company. A talk by Richard Pacitti
Wednesday, 26 November 2025: Fickleshole: an ancient manor and the inception of the White Bear PH. The history of both from earlier times by Joyce Hoad.
There is no meeting in December.
Wednesday, 28 January 2026: Selsdon History in Postcard Images. An illustrated talk by Roger Packham.
Wednesday, 25 February 2026: Stories behind the Graves at All Saints’, Sanderstead. A talk by Phil Swallow.
Wednesday, 25 March 2026: Painters in South-East England. A talk by Dee Palmer.
Bourne Society Coach day tours
For details see ‘Coach Day Tours’ in the side menu.
Chaldon History Group
Saturday, 4 October 2025: From Barracks to Urban Village. Dick Moran, Chief Executive Officer of the Caterham Barracks Community Trust, will tell the story of the army barracks in Caterham and how it was reborn in 2000 as an attractive and thriving urban village after consultation with the local community.
Sunday, 12 October 2025: Autumn footpath walks, 2.45 pm start. Free.
Saturday, 8 November 2025: Chaldon 200 Years Ago. A talk by Liz Bonsall and Madeline Hutchins finding out about our village in the 1820s from documents and archives.
Chaldon Church, with its 12th-century mural, is open every day for visitors, usually between 10am and 4pm (3pm in winter). Church Teas are available on Sundays in British summertime, 3.00 to 4.30 pm in the Hazell Room at the Church.
For more on the Chaldon group please follow this link.