JUBILEE OF THE CLUB
The great event of 1930 was the celebration marking the 50th anniversary
of the Foundation of the Club. The present writer, who joined the Club, with his
future wife, in 1924, was appointed Secretary for the Jubilee Organisation and
the Great Hall of the Municipal College was offered to the Club by the West
Ham Education Committee.
On 22 February 1930, after three months of preparation, the distinguished
guests assembled at 3 p.m.: chief among them was the Countess of Warwick,
who had also taken part in the opening of the Passmore Edwards Museum in
1900. In the course of her speech, she said, sadly, "I wonder how many of you
are looking forward to the centenary of the Field Club. It may be that there is
not going to be a Centenary, because (then) there may be no fields and no woods
..." She then referred to the desecration of the countryside and legislation to
avoid it. Fortunately, her prophetic gloom is not yet quite justified and the
Essex Field Club will be holding its Centenary celebrations in 1980, full of
vigour even if a little altered in character.
For us older members, there are recollections of original and highly-
scientific annual presidential addresses (no discussion was to follow these), of
the dignified entry of the President and Council at the beginning of each
Saturday afternoon winter meeting in the physics lecture theatre of the
Municipal College at Stratford, of the display of photographs from the Club's
Pictorial Survey of Essex, carefully laid out by Miss Greaves or the Seceretary
and Curator, Mr Percy Thompson, and of the many items of interest displayed
on the lecture tables and discussed before the main paper of the meeting.
Notices of all meetings were beautifully typeset on good paper in those
prosperous days, and even the first post-War notice in 1945 was so printed.
An important work resulting from the Jubilee, was the completion and
publication of a General Index to The Essex Naturalist, 1887-1930, compiled by
Stephen J. Barns, Hon. Librarian.
The years preceding the War of 1939-1945 were marked by the deaths of
many prominent supporters of the Club's activities and the necessary
replacement of those who held office by younger members. Notable con-
tributions of distinct scientific value continued to be made to the Essex
Naturalist but the shape of the Essex Field Club continued unaltered, even in
wartime, although the Museum at Stratford had to be closed to the public. The
Winter meetings were resumed at Stratford on 27 October 1945 after six years
of evacuation and continuation of Club meetings elsewhere under difficulties;
the heartening reunion of old members on that occasion was a welcome
reminder of the Club's social unity, at that time.
The retirement of Percy Thomspon in 1948, and his death on 7 April 1953,
made a gap in the Curation of the Museum, which led to its continued closure to
the public and the urgent necessity to make basic changes in the organisation of
the Club.
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