Civil War is talking point.

FOLLOWING a successful AGM during which a new Loughborough Archaeological and Historical Society (LAHS) committee was voted in, President of the society, Professor Martyn Bennett, addressed the assembled crowd on the subject of Lord Loughborough, and his part in the Civil War.

Having surveyed documents and reports of the time, Prof Bennett believes that Henry Hastings, born in the building that is now an Italian restaurant on Sparrow Hill, has, over the years, received a "bad press".

Using comparisons between Oliver Cromwell and Hastings - both were Colonels at the time of the Civil War, both raised an army (Cromwell as Parliamentarian with financial help from parliament, Hastings as Royalist with no help), and size of respective armies in 1643, Cromwell's being 12 troops, Hastings' 15 - Prof Bennett was easily able to sway the opinion of the room in favour of a more balanced view of Henry Hastings.

The next LAHS talk, given by Stephen Taylor on the topic of the role of Garendon Park in WW2, will be held on Thursday 10th May, at 7.30pm, in Knightthorpe Road Methodist Church. All Welcome! Free to members, PS3 to visitors.

The Old Rectory Museum opened its doors for the first event of the 2018 season on Saturday, April 7, when a group of local artists, known as LE11 1N, hosted a reception to welcome visitors to their exhibition in the downstairs gallery area.

This successful start to the season saw 80 people visit the museum where the artists were on hand to talk about their work, and museum volunteers showed folk around the building and the artefacts.

The Old Rectory Museum open season runs from Easter to the end of October, when the museum is open each Saturday from 11am to 3pm.

For more details of the LAHS or the museum please email the secretary: oldrectorymuseumloughborough@gmail.com