Bromsgrove Summer School 2017

The Bromsgrove Summer School is now in its seventh year. This is an opportunity to celebrate the rich industrial, architectural and cultural history of Bromsgrove and district in company with other enthusiasts.

The event runs over three days, 11-13 July, and attendees may participate over one, two or all three days. Students have the option to choose between two parallel lecture streams, some of which also offer optional afternoon visits after lunch. Courses are open to both members and non-members of the Bromsgrove Society.

All courses are held at Bromsgrove School’s Learning Resources Centre, either in the Lecture Theatre or in the adjacent Sixth Form Common Room.

Lecture Programme

On Tuesday 11 July, we have Tim Bridges taking us on a virtual tour of the Churches of Bromsgrove and District. In the afternoon Tim will take us to a local church of his choice. Also on the Tuesday we have Julian Hunt giving a new slant on the life of A.E. Housman using the poet’s published letters as source material. He will be joined by Gregory Leadbetter, of Birmingham City University, talking about the newly acquired letters from A.E. Housman to his godson Gerald Jackson.

On Wednesday 12 July, Sarah Bradley of Belbroughton History Society, will show how the Belne Brook powered a multitude of corn mills, gun-barrel mills and scythe forges. She will be joined by Julian Hunt who will survey each mill site on the stream. Also on Wednesday, Pat Tansell will be showing how Bromsgrove featured on early Maps of Worcestershire. She will be joined by Richard Oliver of the University of Exeter, who will explain how the Ordnance Survey transformed map-making in England. In the afternoon they will visit Bromsgrove Library to examine the newly deposited collection of Ordnance Survey maps.

On Thursday 13 July, Jenny Townsend and Julian Hunt will look at Great Houses Around Bromsgrove, when they were built and who lived in them. In the afternoon, students will have an opportunity to visit Housman Hall and other imposing houses in Bromsgrove. Also on Thursday, Pat Tansell will describe ‘Bromsgrove on the Eve of War: Our Town and District in 1939’. Pat will be using local newspapers, rarely seen archive material and other resources, to show how Bromsgrove and district prepared for war in 1939.

Access

Free parking is available at the Worcester Road entrance to Bromsgrove School. Please note that there are some steps on the Bromsgrove School campus and at the sites of some afternoon visits. If you have mobility problems, please ask for more details.

Registration and Timings

Students can register and enjoy a cup of coffee or tea from 9.30 a.m. and lectures begin at 10.00 a.m. There is an excellent lunch at 1.00 p.m. and for those taking part in afternoon visits, departure is at 2.00 p.m. Proceedings should finish at approximately 4.00 p.m.

FAQs

How do I book tickets for the Summer School?

Please click the green 'Tickets' button at the top of the page and make your selection.

How do I claim a discount as a Bromsgrove Society member or for attending on all three days?

Four ticket types are available for each lecture:

• Full price (i.e. Non-Member attending for one or two days)
  
• Bromsgrove Society Member - Day Discount
• Bromsgrove Society Member - Three-day Discount
  
• Non-Member - Three-day Discount

Select the ticket category that applies for your booking. If attending for three days be sure to book all your courses at the same time so that we can apply the correct rates.

How do I pay?

We offer a number of payment options. Our preferred method is to pay online through Paypal, using either a credit/debit card or Paypal account (if you have one). Note: you do NOT need to set up a Paypal account to use this facility: just click on 'Check Out As A Guest' after being transferred to the Paypal website. If you wish, you may also pay by cheque: please make this payable to 'The Bromsgrove Society' and send it to the organisers immediately at the address shown on your booking confirmation (which will be sent to you by email).

I don't have an email address - can I book offline?

Yes. If you do not have an email address, we are still able to accept bookings by post, using the paper booking form (available on our website or included with the Bromsgrove Society Newsletter). However, booking online makes things easier for you and for us, so if you have this option we would encourage you to do so.

Do all of the lectures have afternoon visits?

No. Certain lectures have afternoon visits, as indicated in the programme above. Where visits are offered attendance is optional and subject to your own transport arrangements. Generally, the lecturer will try to ensure that all those wishing to participate in a visit are able to do so, by arranging lifts or other shared transport.

Can I change which lectures I attend after I've booked?

If you change your mind about which lectures you wish to attend you should contact the organisers to see if it is possible to change, otherwise if you book through this site you may be charged again.

What's the refund policy?

If you are unable to attend the Summer School for any reason we will be able to refund your booking fee up to 48 hours before the event. With less than 48 hours notice we may need to charge all or a proportion of the fee, depending on whether we are able to re-sell your ticket.