Lewes History Group

Following the latest Government guidance, The Keep will reopen to the public on Thursday 3 December at 10am.

To ensure social distancing, they will continue to limit the number of people per day in their Reading Room to a maximum of 10, by appointment only, and original archives must be ordered two working days in advance.

Documents will be quarantined for 72 hours between uses, and they will continue to operate with reduced opening hours. Their Reference Room remains closed.

There is important information on their website about accessing their services, as well as a short video outlining the measures put in place to make the building Covid-secure.

Image at The Keep website

This talk will be followed by a short Lewes History Group AGM for members, scheduled for 8:45pm on Zoom. [AGM Zoom link was sent to LHG members on 27.11.20, and will be re-sent at a later date]

A Zoom Webinar

Chris Horlock: A Sussex Christmas

Lewes History Group’s December talk on Zoom by local historian Chris Horlock reveals how the people of Sussex celebrated Christmas in the past. Even those who know Sussex well will discover some new and surprising things in his talk.

Many of the customs of the traditional twelve days of Christmas are detailed, including putting up the decorations, bringing in the yule log, preparing the Christmas day feast, plus the curious ‘Mummer’s Play’ entertainment. There’s a Christmas tale or two along the way, including a mysterious incident during the great snowstorm of 1881, plus how in 1939, the snow at Burwash was not the usual colour!

Chris Horlock is an expert on Sussex folklore and folk history, and a collector of old photographs. He writes regularly for Sussex Life, has published a number of books and is an accomplished speaker.

Skating on Falmer pond c.1908

To access this talk, you need to register your intention some days in advance: Click to Register

There is no charge for this talk.

After registering and well before the talk, we will send you a confirmation email containing information about how to join the webinar itself.

Please join the webinar at 7:20pm.

We would recommend a computer screen or an iPad as a minimum screen-size for viewing our webinars.

Our presenters will be speaking live, and you can ask questions by typing in the Q&A box in Zoom.

See the Talks page for a list of  forthcoming monthly events organised by the Lewes History Group.

This new book edited by Diana Wilkins, and launched to mark Equal Pay Day, tells the stories of 100 inspiring Lewes women who have made a difference to our community. They include women who successfully campaigned to change the way we vote, and women who succeeded in science, business and the arts.

The book also highlights the hopes of today’s generation. In 2019, a hundred girls from local schools were invited by mayor Janet Baah to speak directly about their concerns and aspirations. We hear about the changes the rising generation want to see over the coming decade.

You can order the book via the Contact page of the vote100lewes website, (£8.50 inc p&p, 88 pages A5 perfect bound). The book will also be on sale at Lewes Tourist Office when open and at Lewes Football Club shop on match days.

Download a free pdf of the book

Photo © Edward Reeves Photography, Lewes