WELCOME TO THE SOHAM MUSEUM HISTORY GROUP PAGES:
Our Past Talks:
In May 2026, Soham Museum History Group were delighted to welcome long time campaigner for the protection and conservation of the River Snail, Gaynor Ryan; It was a rare opportunity to hear her speak, not just on the rarity and importance of the chalk stream, but to give an extensive and broad ranging talk on the history of Snailwell, which was accompanied by some stunning images.
Rising from its spring, significantly adjacent to St Peters Church and the Bronze Age earthwork on which it stands, the river gave life to this tiny hamlet for thousands of years. Now threatened by pollution and neglect; without the dedication of people like Gaynor, we would lose what is an essential contributor to Soham Lode, for which it is the main source!
We had a great turn out, and enjoyed a very entertaining evening, and our hope is that people were inspired to join in the campaign to clean up the stream and its' surrounds and preserve what we learned is amongst the rarest of all natural habits in the country.
Rising from its spring, significantly adjacent to St Peters Church and the Bronze Age earthwork on which it stands, the river gave life to this tiny hamlet for thousands of years. Now threatened by pollution and neglect; without the dedication of people like Gaynor, we would lose what is an essential contributor to Soham Lode, for which it is the main source!
We had a great turn out, and enjoyed a very entertaining evening, and our hope is that people were inspired to join in the campaign to clean up the stream and its' surrounds and preserve what we learned is amongst the rarest of all natural habits in the country.
As always, it was a delight to invite John Pryke back to Soham. It is a rare treat to have a speaker on local village history, and John is a compelling speaker who knows his subject inside out. Fordham has such an interesting past, which told through historic characters brings the story alive. Who knew there were so many and varied connections with our wider history.
From the earliest times, via a brief history of Fordham Abbey, we were taken on a roller coaster of histories firsts, and famous people with local connections, and we really enjoyed the ride.
From the earliest times, via a brief history of Fordham Abbey, we were taken on a roller coaster of histories firsts, and famous people with local connections, and we really enjoyed the ride.
This was the first showing of a brand new talk by collector Donna Martin, discussing the history and importance of communication, and how the advent of the adhesive postage stamp made it possible for everyday people to communicate across the miles for the first time.
At a time when the postal system allowed for anything up to four deliveries every day, the advent of the postcard, a tiny piece of paper, which would eventually carry an image on one side, in the late nineteenth century, allowed for short notes to be transported to family and friends wherever they were in the country, even the world; and for people to send messages for all manner of reasons. The talk was rounded up with a look at the reverse of 'Soham' postcards and some of the strange and funny things that people wrote to the recipient. There is so much scope for further study in this field, but the audience was left in no doubt that people had a sense of humour back in the heyday of the postcard, that they shared sadness as well as joy, and that their daily lives were not perhaps as humdrum as we might think.
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