Monthly local history talks are on the third Thursday of the month. Bookings can be made in advance using Eventbrite
For further enquiries please contact Ruth Hibberd,
Thursday 10 December 2026, 7.30pm-9pm
Social: Society members are cordially invited to join us for the annual Christmas Social event at the Phoenix Centre, Westow Street, London SE19 3AF. We look forward to seeing you there. Activities include a Norwood Quiz and members are invited to bring, show and tell us about an item of historical interest. There will be refreshments including wine and donations are welcome. There is no talk in December.
Thursday 19 November 2026, 7.30pm-9pm
Talk: Local Historian John Prideaux will talk about his memories of cycle rides in the late 1950s and 1960s along the once grand Crystal Palace Parade and past structures remaining from the Crystal Palace era. These include the High Level Station and turntable, the fire station building, the subway, the open reservoir, the water tanks and Edward Milner’s house. This was enhanced by street furniture, buses that are now museum exhibits and an annual construction exhibition that definitely left its mark. For new or younger locals this will hopefully give a valuable insight into this once great thoroughfare.
Booking £3: www.eventbrite.co.uk
Thursday 15 October 2026, 7.30pm-9pm
Talk: Fox Hill, reputedly the steepest road in London, was home to all manner of residents including a world famous female human cannon ball, a science fiction writer who wrote about dinosaurs, two important artists, criticised by some Victorians for their unseemly paintings, the home of BALPA and a doctor who carved his name on ancient Egyptian monuments. Find out about them and much more about the history of this Norwood road.
Booking £3: www.eventbrite.co.uk
Sunday 16 August 2026, 2pm-4pm
Walk: A stroll down Beulah Hill is like a walk through a time warp. It’s a street once full of majestic buildings, steeped in history, occupied by the rich and sometimes famous with a heritage and treasures that deserve to be remembered. Meet at 7 Beulah Hill, London SE19 3LQ
Booking £5: www.eventbrite.co.uk
Saturday 8 August 2026, 11am-12.30pm
Walk: This walk, down what is reputedly the steepest hill in London, led by Stephen Oxford for the Norwood Society will follow in the footsteps of the artist Pissarro and examine the road, its houses and its residents past and present. Discover where a human cannon ball, a fish merchant, a mathematician, a science fiction writer and a member of the Canadian Expeditionary Force lived. Meet at Brown and Green Cafe, 99 Church Road, London SE19 2PD
Booking £5: www.eventbrite.co.uk
Wednesday 5 August 2026, 7pm-8.30pm
Walk: This walk, down what is reputedly the steepest hill in London, led by Stephen Oxford for the Norwood Society will follow in the footsteps of the artist Pissarro and examine the road, its houses and its residents past and present. Discover where a human cannon ball, a fish merchant, a mathematician, a science fiction writer and a member of the Canadian Expeditionary Force lived. Meet at Brown and Green Cafe, 99 Church Road, London SE19 2PD
Booking £5: www.eventbrite.co.uk
Thursday 16 April 2026, 7.30pm
Talk: The History of Beulah Hill will be the subject of a short talk by Stephen Oxford at 7.30pm
AGM: The talk will be followed by the Norwood Society AGM at 8.00pm
Both events will be held at the Phoenix Community Centre on Westow Street and are open to anyone wishing to attend but the refreshments after the AGM are for Society members. No need to book.
If you wish to nominate someone to stand for election as an Officer or as a member of the Executive Committee please contact the secretary:
Thursday 19 March 2026 7.30pm to 9.00pm
Talk: Lambeth Tour Guide Selina Rice describes the origins of West Norwood Cemetery and highlights some notable residents from the late 19th Century and early 20th Century who lived in Crystal Palace / Upper Norwood who are buried there. The Phoenix Centre, Westow Street, London SE19 3AF.
Booking £3: www.eventbrite.co.uk
Thursday 19 February 2026 7.30pm to 9.00pm
Talk: Local historian Francis Howcutt locates the poorest quality housing in what is now called West Norwood with details of people who lived there. The Phoenix Centre, Westow Street, London SE19 3AF.
Booking £3: www.eventbrite.co.uk