Wivenhoe Memories Exhibition - August 2023

 

Visitos to the Memories Exhibition

Peter Hill

 

People at the Memories Exhibition

Peter Hill

 

Once again Michael Smither put a huge amount effort into putting together an enormous collction of old photographs of Wivenhoe to show in the Wivenhoe Memories Exhibition. Whilst many of these photographs were collected by John Stewart in his lifetime, Michael has been adding to them.

The Exhibition, in the William Loveless Hall, took place on Sunday, 27th and Monday 28th August between 10am and 5pm on each day.  Members of the Wivenhoe History Group helped Michael by providing refreshments during these two days.

A special focus of this Exhibtion was pictures and facts concerning the more than 24 pubs and beerhouses which have existed in Wivenhoe. Around the year 1900, one could buy a drink in 21 of those establishments! Overall, the Exhibition was much larger than last year’s one with more material that Michael had collected.

Entry to the Exhibition was free although a donation towards costs was requested and many people responded accordingly which was greatly appreciated.  The History Group were also grateful to Wivenhoe Town Council for their help and support in putting on this Exhibition.

For those who were interested in the history of Wivenhoe’s pubs and beerhouses, Michael Smither gave an illustrated talk about them at a meeting of the Wivenhoe History Group on Thursday 28th September in the British Legion Hall at 7.30pm. This meeting was packed and were much appreciative of the anecdotes he included in the talk.