Welcome to the Middlesex branch of the Western Front Association.
Venue: Hewitt Room, Whitton Community Centre, Percy Road, Whitton TW2 6JL
The Community Centre is a single story building shared with the Whitton Corner Pharmacy which is situated between Twickenham School/Whitton Sports and Fitness Centre and the Whitton Health and Social Care Centre and across the road from Twickenham Cemetery. See news item dated 9th May 2023 for picture of Centre as seen from Percy Road. The Hewitt Room is on the right at the end of the entrance corridor.
If driving the nearest main road is the A316 (Chertsey Road). Come off at the Hospital Bridge Roundabout heading north taking the exit signposted 'B358 Whitton' onto Hospital Bridge Road and then the next right onto Percy Road at the Health and Social Care Centre which is just past the Church on your right. The entrance to the Community Centre's car-park (which includes disabled spaces) is then on your right. This is free for those using the building but is quite small so if this is full then local roads have unrestricted street parking.
NOTE that the Centre being in the London borough of Richmond now lies within the ULEZ (Ultra Low Emission Zone) area so suggest you check your car on the TfL website (Check your vehicle (tfl.gov.uk) to see if you would be liable for the £12.50 daily charge for driving in the zone.
However if using public transport the Centre is a 10-12 minute walk (around 800m) or short bus ride (see below for details) from Whitton Station- turn left on leaving station. The station is in TfL fare zone 5 and is served by South West Trains semi-fast London Waterloo to Windsor and Eton Riverside service or the stopping Waterloo-Hounslow loop service. Note that the latter service is limited to peak hours so will allow access to the meeting but to return after the meeting you would have to change trains perhaps at Richmond or Putney having used the Windsor service or using buses as below- check your journey on the National Rail or Transport for London journey planner websites to find the best option for you.
It is also on H22 and 110 bus routes both of which pass Whitton station and link to Hounslow or Richmond respectively for London overground (from Richmond) or underground (Piccadilly or District line respectively) services. If travelling from Whitton station get off the 110 bus at the Ryecroft Avenue stop and walk on past the School to the Centre or the H22 at the Whitton Corner Health and Social Care Centre stop, then walking back into Percy Road to the Centre. Travelling towards the station both buses use the stop directly across Percy Road from the Community Centre again named as Whitton Corner Health and Social Care Centre. The 481 bus from Kingston to West Middlesex Hospital in Isleworth also serves the Whitton Corner Health and Social Care Centre but offers a limited service ending before 8pm so again whilst it could be used to reach the meeting it could not be used to return.
NOTE there are no refreshment facilities at the Community Centre but The Winning Post pub is close-by on the Chertsey Road with access from Percy Road and there are a number of restaurants, supermarkets and takeaways on Whitton High Street to the right of the station.
Dates: The First Thursday of each month (except January and August when no meeting is held)
TIME: 7:20pm for 7:30-9:20.
Donation (£4 suggested) requested to cover branch costs
Follow us on Twitter: @WFAMiddlesex
Upcoming meetings:
Thu 5th Oct 2023 - 'Fighting Spirit - Patrolling and Raiding with the West Yorks 1917-18' a talk by Fraser Skirrow
Thu 2nd Nov 2023 - 'Uncovering the dead 1919-1939' a talk by Dr Peter Hodgkinson
Thu 7th Dec 2023 - 'Gallipoli Chaplains crossing the divide' a talk by Carole Hope
Past Meetings:
Thu 1st Dec 2022 - Phil Sutcliffe: 'Foot Soldier Sam's Great War - In His Own Words'
Thu 2nd Feb 2023 - James Marshall ‘Whitehead Aircraft and World War 1 – the beginning of Feltham's links with aviation’
Thu 2nd Mar 2023 - Branch AGM & Nigel Crompton: 'HM Cordite Factory Gretna – genealogy on the Home Front'
Thu 6th Apr 2023 - 'German grand strategy and the introduction of new tactics in 1916-1917' a talk by Dr Tony Cowan
Thu 4th May 2023 - 'Lost Opportunity: The Battle of the Ardennes 22nd August 1914' a talk by Dr Simon House
Thu 1st Jun 2023 - 'Private John Parr of the Middlesex Regiment- the First British Soldier killed on the Western Front' a talk by Mick Crick
Thu 6th Jul 2023 - 'The War in West Africa' a talk by Christopher Mellor-Hill
Thu 7th Sept 2023 -'Russian Army in the First World War' a talk by Sofya Anisimova
Upcoming Branch Events
'Fighting Spirit - Patrolling and Raiding with the West Yorks 1917-18' a talk by Fraser Skirrow
This talk looks at the routine daily business of dominating the enemy through the development of patrolling and raiding in a West Yorks battalion. It examines who was involved, how the patrol and raiding war actually worked, what was achieved and discusses whether the emphasis on patrolling had any effect on fighting abilities. With modern and cont…
Event Details
'Uncovering the dead 1919-1939' a talk by Dr Peter Hodgkinson
There is currently considerable interest in battlefield archaeology. Between the wars, however, a process similar to modern archaeology was carried out to attempt to unearth the missing and bury them properly in IWGC cemeteries. How was this done? Who did it? What were their experiences? This talk will look at all of these topics. The speaker is a…
Event Details
'Gallipoli Chaplains: Crossing the Divide' - a talk by Carole Hope
Caption: Gallipoli burial service This talk examines the role of chaplains on both sides and many faiths in Gallipoli and looks at such issues as the logistics of providing a chaplaincy service, the day to day operational challenges, both in the front line (for those chaplains who ventured forward) and behind the line and collaboration with medica…
Event Details