Remembering when

The photos were taken at the society’s “Sidcup’s Great War: A Living Pageant” community event in 2016

SOCIETY CELEBRATES 70TH ANNIVERSARY

Lamorbey and Sidcup Local History Society has been woven into the fabric of the Sidcup community for the last 70 years. Formed in 1952 as an offshoot from a local history class that met at Lamorbey Park Adult Education Centre, the society was originally called the Local History Group but became a fully-fledged society in 1956. Since then, it has been educating and informing the locals about the people who painted Sidcup’s rich and colourful history.

Committee member Penny Duggan has been involved with the society for the last 20 years.

She says: “There has been lots more interest in local history in the last two years due to the pandemic. Lives have been disrupted so much that people want to reintegrate themselves in their local community. They’re taking more of an interest in their surroundings – the buildings and the history that shaped them, for example.

“We’re working with Sidcup Business Improvement District (BID) to see how we can collectively improve the look of the town and educate people about its history. This can really help to bind people together and foster a sense of community spirit.”

One successful project was the Our Famous People of Sidcup initiative, which saw banners hung from lamp posts in the high street and Station Road areas of Sidcup in May 2019.

“This celebrated a selection of people who previously lived in Sidcup and their achievements,” says Penny. “It’s just one output from our Echo Project, which is being led and developed by the society in consultation with the Sidcup BID team and the London Borough of Bexley. The purpose of the project is to celebrate Sidcup, to encourage interest in its past over the last 150 years and have a positive effect on the street scene.

“Another popular initiative was our Sidcup’s Home Front in the Great War project, which focused on what life was like for local residents during 1914-18 and the opening of the Queen’s Hospital in 1917. We had a fantastic event to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the hospital in 2017.

“This followed on from our living history event, Sidcup’s Great War: A Living Pageant, which was held in 2016. Its purpose was to commemorate life on the Home Front in Sidcup during World War I. This provided an exciting opportunity for the whole community, including local businesses, schools, choirs and churches, to get involved in different ways.

“Essentially, the society has played an important role in Sidcup in the last 70 years. We’re looking forward to continuing this for decades to come.”