Chapel meeting highlights research pitfalls

Roy Tubb tells it like it is

Two firsts for the History Group. The first meeting held in the Cemetery Chapel with the considerable benefit of newly installed electricity and the first meeting to invite a guest speaker.

Twenty members were educated and amused by the story of the different research methods Roy had used over the last nine (at least) years. These methods ranged from Berkshire Record Office, libraries, national and local newspapers, telephone directories, internet to historical maps. Most interesting were the one to one interviews that took him all over the country as he tracked down the origin of all the road names in Newbury.

He advised us to never give up and keep asking questions. He also shared with us some of the sources used that turned out to be incorrect, notably a letter to the NWN about the origin of the name of the 'Monkey bridge' over the canal.

He also graciously accepted corrections from his audience - Fair Close Day Centre is a Charitable Trust and not funded by Sovereign Housing - these will be put right in the next edition of Newbury: Road by Road!