Our speaker at our Monthly Meeting on 26 February 2025 was our own member Chris who is also part of Preston Community Library. Please note that we are speaking of Preston between Wembley and Kenton rather than Preston in Lancashire!

Image courtesy of Ordinance Survey 1914

Chris described how a quiet corner of Middlesex noted for its farms and rural views had changed with the arrival of the first railway, and then with the Metropolitan Line railway, later to be part of Transport for London.

With many local photographs, especially those featuring buildings that are no longer there, Chris took us through a century of development, pointing out that celebrational centenaries had already started.

There were many pictures of maps to study, and the history of the area goes back to the time of King Richard II. There was also the home of the Lyon family nearby, with special mention of John Lyon who founded Harrow School in the 16th Century

This was the ideal time for this talk and it was much appreciated by the audience, many of whom have lived in this area for decades. Our next monthly meeting will be on 26 March 2025 and will tell the story of ‘Operation Mincemeat’.