POSTPONED History Day – Aspects of the History of Speen

Dr David Peacock is a well-known historian of Newbury and the surrounding area whose PhD thesis was on John Winchcombe and the Tudor cloth trade in Newbury. He is the author of the current edition of 'The Story of Newbury' (4th Ed), 'The Newbury Roman Cemetery' and innumerable articles on local history in publications and in the Newbury Weekly News.

Jane Burrell is a retired museum curator who worked for West Berkshire Museum, West Dorset Museum Service, Airborne Forces Museum and RMA Sandhurst Collection. She is a popular speaker at local groups and societies, with a range of local history and special interest topics. She is also a volunteer speaker for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Keith is a keen amateur archaeologist. Recently he has been heavily involved in Berkshire Archaeological Society's investigations in to Roman Wickham. A particular interest is Roman roads and the Wickham project has provided interesting new evidence for the roads to the west of Newbury.

Phil Wood, an enthusiastic local historian, is a past President of the Newbury District Field Club. For the last few years he has concentrated his efforts into uncovering all there is to know about the large number of pubs and breweries that once seemed to fill the town. Study of the existing pubs also gives him the opportunity for some enjoyable field work! He has created the West Berkshire War Memorials website and the written the stories on the website of almost all of the Great War casualties listed on the Newbury War Memorial.

Sue Ellis is a local historian with a freewheeling interest in a whole range of subjects, including family history, historic architecture, historic water pumps, archaeology, and dollshouses.