Tim Groves, a retired primary school teacher, gave a fascinating talk entitled ‘The Development and Growth of Sheringham as a Seaside Resort’. Tim started by passing round some interesting artefacts, stressing the enjoyment and significance of ‘hands-on’ history. One of the objects, a 19th century corn measure, belonged to one of his ancestors. After a brief talk about his family’s history, and encouraging members to investigate their own families’ ancestry, Tim spoke about the Sheringham Museum, of which he is a director.
Next, Tim asserted that the development of Sheringham from a small fishing and farming community to a thriving seaside resort was the result of three factors: the Industrial Revolution; the impact of the Upcher family from 1812; and, most important, the arrival of the railway in 1887.
The final part of Tim’s talk included the presentation of many pictures of old Sheringham, for example, of the fishing community and of Upper Sheringham School. He revealed that, in the mid-19th century, there were 250 to 300 fishing boats in Sheringham, yet today there are only 2 or 3. Many fishermen in the Victorian era became involved in servicing the new tourists. Tim finished by encouraging members to visit the Sheringham museum.
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