BGS Programme of Events

SOUTHCOURT COMMUNITY CENTRE, Prebendal Ave, Aylesbury (map) (any alteration to the location, or date will be indicated on the timetable below).

SATURDAY February 8^th 2020

William Lowndes and William Gyles: the men who changed Winslow

William Lowndes (1652-1724) left Winslow for London as a teenager, came back as the 18^th-century equivalent of a millionaire, and bought up as much property as he could. He demolished a large part of one of the main streets and built a huge house in a completely new style, changing the face of Winslow forever.

William Gyles (c.1630-1702) was Winslow’s leading Baptist and lived through persecution in the 1660s to see relative freedom of worship in the 1690s, although the vicar still hated him. His own house has disappeared but he built the Baptist meeting-house which has represented Winslow’s nonconformist tradition since 1695.

Dr DAVID NOY

SATURDAY March 14^th

The AGM at 2.20pm followed by:

WHEN THE RAILWAYS CAME TO BUCKS

The London to Birmingham Railway and G.W.R. route to Bristol cut across Buckinghamshire in 1838, but, like HS2 today, these lines were not designed for the convenience of locals. The branch line to High Wycombe and Aylesbury was built to the G.W.R. broad gauge whilst the L.N.W.R. line to Buckingham was standard gauge. When the two towns were linked by the Aylesbury and Buckingham Railway in 1868, the G.W.R. had to re-engineer their line to the narrower gauge.

JULIAN HUNT

This page was last updated 14^th January 2020