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The next events will be 

November 10th 2026
Tuesday, November 10, members will hear from Oriole Wagstaff, the RSPB’s senior site manager for South Downs reserves, who will explain the extensive habitat restoration work re cently undertaken at Amberley Wildbrooks. The talk will take place in St Michael’s Church Hall at 7 pm
November 25th 2026
Wednesday 25th November at 1130 am at The Sportsman
Few people in Amberley will have much awareness now of the Clarkson Room.  For nearly 50 years until 1964, when the present Church Hall was built, the Clarkson Room was central to village life, effectively the village hall.  Ian Galbraith will give a brief history of the room - which was the original east portion of Oak Tree House - what it was used for, and its unexpected end.
If you would like to attend the November 25th event, please enter your details on the accompanying form here. We will then arrange seating at the venue and advise The Sportsman of the numbers to be reserved for lunch.
 

Form for Nov 25th talk registration

2027
Founded in 1977, the Society is preparing to celebrate its 50th anniversary next year. A key event will be a members’ garden party, planned for late May or early June in the gar dens of Oak Tree House, courtesy of David and Lillis Lyon. To mark the anniversary year, the Society is organising a series of special talks:

January (date to be confirmed): A history of the Amberley Society, covering its origins, achievements and devel opment since 1977. Former chairmen Mike Toynbee and Grahame Joseph will reflect on their periods of leadership. The event will also include a short film by Ian Spofforth, the Society’s first chairman.

March (AGM; probably 16th but to be confirmed): Following the formal meeting, Sandy Guthrie will speak about his father, Duncan Guthrie, the Society’s second chairman and founder of Action Medical Research, the Horsham-based charity supported by Amberley’s Gardens Open. Guthrie’s remarkable life included service with the Special Opera tions Executive (SOE) during the Second World War.

October (date to be confirmed): Jeff Feakins will present a talk on the history of Amberley School, drawing exten sively on material held in the Society’s archive. Topics will include 19th century Dame Schools, the development of school buildings, swimming pools, notable head teachers, and campaigns to prevent school closure.

summer outdoor event is also planned, most likely a guided walk around the village. In addition, the Society will support the launch in Amberley of a new book on Arthur Winter-Shaw (1869–1948), a painter who lived here. Written by his great-grandson, Andy Buck, the launch is expected to include an exhibition of Winter-Shaw’s paintings gathered from collections around the country
18th Feb
feb 18th
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