Local sport will be the subject of an annual conference taking place online which is being organised by a network of local history societies that include Brentford & Chiswick, Acton, Hounslow and Fulham & Hammersmith.
The 42nd West London Local History Conference, “Play the Game” Sport in the past of South and West London is a one day virtual conference taking place on 26 November 2022.
From 9.45am to 4pm, the organisers say: “This year’s speakers will present the history of the amazing range of sporting activities which have been played in the area covered by our sponsoring societies. These include cricket, football, rugby and swimming and much more”.
The full running schedule is:
10.00 Welcome and introduction to the way we will operate the online conference – Val Bott, Editor, Brentford & Chiswick Local History Journal & Conference Co-Chairman.
10.10 Played in West and South West London – Simon Inglis, creator of the Played in Britain series & author of Played in London.
11.30 Turf Wars: How cricket & other sports transformed Wandsworth Common – Philip Boys, chronicles the Common’s richly diverse past.
12.15 Travels with the Jester from Hampstead to Twickenham: The story of Harlequins Rugby Club – Graeme Roberts, a member of the Harlequin Heritage Team.
2.00 Welcome – Neil Robson, Editor, Wandsworth Historian & Conference Co-Chairman.
2.15 ‘Downstream’ – a history of swimming in the Thames, between Twickenham and Battersea – Caitlin Davies, author of Downstream.
3.00 Brentford FC & the development of professional football in West London – Rob Jex, a Brentford Football Club Historian.
3.45 Thanks and summary of the day’s proceedings (4.00 Conference ends).
Tickets cost £15 and can be booked online, by clicking here.
