Meetings

The Acton History Group meets at 7.30 p.m. on the second Wednesday of each month from September until March in St Mary's Church Hall in Acton. (Opposite Morrisons - Entrance to the right of the tower)

Visitors welcome at all meetings. Admission £2.00

Join Acton History Group

For more information on Acton History Group and confirmation of meetings please send an e-mail to: actonhistorygroup@hotmail.com

Subscription: £10 per year - £15 per year (couple) If you wish to join, send an e-mail to: actonhistorygroup@hotmail.com

Programme of meetings

We meet at St Mary’s Church Hall, The Mount, Acton (opposite Morrison’s) at 7.30 p.m. (unless otherwise noted). Meetings are free for members, and £2 for non-members.

2026

Wednesday 11th February 2026

Talk by James Marshall on “The Great West Road”.

Wednesday 11th March 2026

Talk by Linda Davies on "The Rise and Fall of All Saints Church, South Acton”.

Saturday 11th April 2026

West London Local History Conference - “Shopping is Never Done – West London High Streets Down the Decades” at Duke Street Church, Richmond upon Thames. 9.30 a.m. for 9.45 a.m. Tickets are £15 and are available here - more details below.

Wednesday 10th June 2026

AGM and 40th Anniversary meeting.

Wednesday 9th September 2026

Talk by Anthony Smith on "Portraits of Acton Notables" (Part one).

Wednesday 14th October 2026

Talk by Paul Lang on “Postcards of West London”.

Wednesday 11th November 2026

Talk to be confirmed.

Wednesday 9th December 2026

Acton History Quiz.

2027

Wednesday 13th January 2027

Talk to be confirmed.

Wednesday 10th February 2027

Talk to be confirmed.

Wednesday 10th March 2027

Talk to be confirmed.

Wednesday 9th June 2027

AGM and Talk to be confirmed.

Walks and Visits

None at present.

Ealing Talking & Exploring Group

This group also organises occasional walks of local interest. Details here.

45th West London Local History Conference - “Shopping is Never Done – West London High Streets Down the Decades”.

- Saturday 11 April 2026 at Duke Street Church, Richmond upon Thames. 9.30 a.m. for 9.45 a.m. Tickets are £15 for a full day of local history and are available here.

Programme includes:

Questors Theatre - Down Our High Street: The Reminiscence Roadshow
David Shailes - Goddards: Serving Bretford for 200 years
James Marshall - Feltham & Hounslow: Change in two high streets from 1950’s to the present
After lunch readings
Neil Robson - Arding & Hobbs, Clapham Junction: South London’s finest drapery house
Carolynne Cotton - Bentalls: The Kingston Department Store since 1867
Val Bott - Shopping in Georgian Brent

Conference sponsored by the local history societies for: Acton, Barnes & Mortlake, Brentford & Chiswick, Fulham & Hammersmith, Hounslow, Richmond, Twickenham, Wandsworth and the West Middlesex Family History Society

Acton History Group Publications

"CELEBRATING THE LIGHT" THE STORY OF A GARDEN SUBURB - MILL HILL PARK, LONDON W3

The new book by NIGEL MIDDLEMISS

ISBN: 978-1-5272-5868-6

Now available price £7 including delivery in UK.

If you would like to buy a copy, please send a cheque payable to “Acton History Group” to:

Acton History Group, 30, Highlands Avenue, Acton London, W3 6EU.

Now available at the Pitshanger Bookshop. (https://www.pitshangerbooks.co.uk/)

“Tin Hats, doodle bugs and food rations”

ISBN: 978-0-9552343-0-9

“Tin Hats, doodle bugs and food rations” tells the story of Acton and Acton people throughout World War 2. It’s packed full of photos, many never published before, and anecdotes, as well as well-researched historical facts. Covers the build up to war, through the blackout, bombing, evacuation, rationing, wartime production to the Victory celebrations in 1945.

Copies available by post - contact the Acton History Group, at bayscolledge@talktalk.net

“Waitrose - Seeking to Attain Perfection” by Janet Appleyard-Hobbs

ISBN: 978-0-9552343-1-6

Acton History Group have been researching the different aspects of Acton’s history for many years. This booklet on Waitrose follows a very successful evening the Acton History Group organised in February 2005, featuring a talk by Janet Hobbs’s on ‘Mr Waite, Mr Rose and Mr Taylor in Acton’ and the unveiling of the plaque to mark the site of the first Waitrose shop. 'Seeking to Attain Perfection' was the motto or slogan used by the first Waitrose shop in its advertisements at Christmas 1908.

Shopping was an important part of life in Acton in 1904. It was a time of great change along the High Street. The Fire Station had not long been opened, the new Woodlands Park and Crown Street had recently been created and the group of buildings rising up Acton Hill, just opposite today’s police Station, had only just been built. So the new shop in this parade was all set to be an asset in this area of town. It was not long before more Waitrose outlets appeared in Acton, now Waitrose is a household name across the country.

Copies available by post - contact the Acton History Group, at bayscolledge@talktalk.net

Acton cards

Local artist Colin Bays has created a set of four cards featuring various architectural highlights of Acton. Two of them show gems of Churchfield Road: the Almshouses and The Churchfield pub. Notes about the building's history are also included on each card. Further details: blank interior, A5 folded, envelopes included. If you would like to buy these cards, contact the Acton History Group, at bayscolledge@talktalk.net

The Almshouses East Churchfield Road

The Churchfield (now The Station House), Churchfield Road

Old Acton Fire Station, Acton High Street

Acton Library, Acton High Street

actonhistory.co.uk has created a pair of large glossy postcards each featuring four Acton scenes in about 1905 and a similar view in 2012. Notes about the scenes are included on each card. Further details: blank back, A5 sized, envelopes included. If you would like to buy these cards, contact the Acton History Group, at bayscolledge@talktalk.net

Acton 1905

Acton 2012

Ealing Libraries Local History Events

The Local History Library holds many local history talks throughout the year on various topics of local interest. for details see:
Ealing Local History Centre

Back to Acton History Group

Acton History

Acton History Group

Useful Links

Meetings

Join Acton History Group

Programme of meetings

Acton History Group Publications

“Tin Hats, doodle bugs and food rations”

“Waitrose - Seeking to Attain Perfection” by Janet Appleyard-Hobbs

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