Gatherings

  • THE BALCHIN FAMILY SOCIETY AGM 2000

    The Annual General Meeting was held during the Portsmouth Gathering, chaired by Sir Robert Balchin. Much of the time was taken up by routine business, which is described in the minutes that will be presented for approval to the 2001 AGM. This note concentrates on the non-routine matters that were discussed. The Treasurer, Colin Balchin, […]

  • Pat Green 23rd March 1943 – 10th September 2000

    Pat Green 23rd March 1943 – 10th September 2000 Jennifer Dixon pays this tribute to her sister Pat My sister Pat was born at Horsham in March 1943. I was born three years later in 1946. At that time, we lived at Rudgwick in a bungalow with an apple orchard, chickens and my Mother’s many […]

  • 2019 – Silver Anniversary Gathering

    New Place, Lingfield The gathering, taking the form of an afternoon tea by kind invitation of Lord and Lady Lingfield, took place in their garden at New Place in Lingfield in Surrey, on  Sunday 8th September, a lovely warm day. The tea (organised by Lady Lingfield, Dee Balchin, Tina Balchin and Rob Balchin) was scrumptious: […]

  • 2018 – Balchin Family Gathering – Alfold Village Hall

    The 2018 gathering was held on Sunday 9th September at Alfold Village Hall.  After coffee Lord Lingfield introduced Dr Sean Kingsley, who is the Director of Wreck Watch International, London, who gave us a fascinating talk on items recovered from the SS Gairsoppa. The Gairsoppa left Calcutta on 5.12.1940 with a “general” cargo, which hid […]

  • 2017 – Balchin Family Gathering – Alfold Village Hall

    We arrived in sunshine and began with coffee or tea and pastries or biscuits, which included apple crumble biscuits that Rob Balchin had made. After Lord Lingfield had welcomed us we had an update from Anne Chapman on the ongoing saga of the Campanula Balchiana, and Jenny Dixon told us about a modern brewery run […]

  • 2016 – Balchin Family Gathering – Alfold Village Hall

    On a bright sunny day two dozen of us assembled in Alfold village hall for the 2016 gathering and AGM.  We were delighted that two members from overseas, Anne Gatland (sister of David Balchin, who organises the technical side of our Newsletter) from Michigan and her daughter Leigh Kraus from Colorado, were able to join us. We […]

  • 2015 – Balchin Family Gathering – Alfold Village Hall, Surrey

    The 2015 gathering and AGM of the Balchin family Society were held on Sunday 13th September, a beautiful sunny day, in the village of Alfold in the village hall.  This well-maintained hall is spacious and well-it with a super kitchen.  Committee members Tina and Rob organised the catering and put on a marvellous lunch, with […]

  • 2014 – Balchin Family Gathering – Borough Hall, Godalming, Surrey

    Our 2014 Gathering held at the Borough hall, Godalming, was presided over by two of our best known Balchins, Admiral Sir John Balchin and Richard Balchin, Surgeon of Godalming.  How so, you may ask?  Well, as prominent past citizens of Godalming, their portraits hang in the Borough Hall, and so kept watchful eye on our […]

  • 2013 – Balchin Family Gathering – Brockham Green, near Dorking, Surrey

    The 2013 Gathering, attended by over 30 members of the family, was held in the Village Hall, at Brockham Green, near Dorking in Surrey.  Unusually for a Balchin Gathering, it rained, or rather there was bright sunshine punctuated by really heavy showers which thundered on the hall roof.  This did not spoil the enjoyment of the day […]

  • 2012 Balchin Family Gathering – Bramley Village Hall, Surrey

    It is official – 2012 was the wettest year since UK record keeping began. It has rained almost every single day since May – except Balchin gathering Day. This is definitely becoming a trend; it rained for our first Gathering in Guildford in 1994 but since then we seem to have had sunshine. Bramley Village […]

  • 2011 Balchin Family Gathering – New Place, Lingfield, Surrey

    The 2011 Gathering, held on Sunday 11th September, a sunny day, at Lord and Lady Lingfield’s house, New Place, in Lingfield, Surrey, was a gathering with a difference. Following the AGM, held in the garden, members were taken in two groups on a fascinating guided tour of the house by Lord Lingfield. New Place was […]

  • 2010 – Balchin Family Gathering – Mayford Village Hall, nr Woking.

    The 16th annual Gathering was held on Sunday 12th September, 2010, at Mayford Village Hall near Woking in the heart of Balchin territory on a warm and sunny day. In the hall Dr. Nigel Balchin had a display of photographs of military medals, while the main Balchin archives and the family tree were also available […]

  • 2009 – Balchin Family Gathering – Chestnut Lodge, Loseley Park.

    The 2009 Balchin Family Society Gathering was held in the elegant and picturesque surroundings of Loseley Park, home of the More and More-Molyneux family since 1568 and in the heart of Balchin “territory”. We learnt that the family estate was “saved” by Balchin intervention. More about that later. Our incredibly industrious researcher Jenny Dixon told […]

  • 2008 – Balchin Family Gathering – Bramley Village Hall

    The Society held its annual Gathering at the Bramley Village Hall on Sunday September 14th 2008. Bramley and its surrounding Parishes are the heartlands of our family origins in England. Before the Industrial revolution changed everyone’s lives we had been established here in Surrey as Yeoman Farmers for centuries. Our yardstick is, as always, the […]

  • 2007 – Balchin Family Gathering – Mayford Village Hall, Woking, Surrey

    The 2007 Family Society Gathering was held at Mayford Village Hall, Woking, Surrey, during the weekend of 8th/9th September. Balchin Gathering 2007: A successful day at Mayford Village Hall Gathering Day dawned bright and clear, and all over the Balchin heartlands of Surrey family members were loading boxes and equipment into their cars. Even in […]

  • 2006 – Balchin Family Gathering, Brooklands Museum, Weybridge

    The 2006 Family Society Gathering was held at Brooklands Museum,in Weybridge, Surrey, during the weekend of 9th/10th September. REPORT FROM THE BROOKLANDS GATHERING. AT WEYBRIDGE. By Roy and Iris Balchin. Event Co-ordinators for the Balchin Family Society. The first reactions I have heard on the 2006 Gathering were very good indeed. We were, of course, […]

  • 2005 Balchin Family Gathering – Horsham, Sussex

    The 2005 Family Society Gathering was held in Horsham, Sussex, during the weekend of 17th/18th September. Roy Balchin reports on the weekend’s events: Our weekend programme started on Saturday afternoon, 17th September, at the Horsham Museum, which is situated at No 9 The Causeway. Many of us had slowly drifted into this cobbled street, ready […]

  • 2004 Balchin Family Gathering – Dorking, Surrey

    The 2004 Family Society Gathering was held in Dorking, Surrey during the weekend of 11th/12th September. Saturday 11th September. Although not a full two-day event, the Gathering coincided with Heritage Open Weekend and we were invited by the Westcott Local History Society to join them on the Saturday afternoon for a walk around the village. […]

  • 2003 Balchin Family Gathering – Farnham Castle

    The 2003 Family Society Gathering was held in Farnham, Surrey during the weekend of 6th/7th September. The venue was the exiting location of Farnham Castle, which dates from the 12th century. Farnham is a small lively town of some 37,000 inhabitants with a great deal of historic charm; it has Roman and Saxon remains, but […]

  • 2002 Balchin Family Gathering – University of Sussex, Brighton

    The 2002 Family Society Gathering was held at the University of Sussex at Brighton on Saturday 7th to Sunday 8th September. Jenny Goldsmith reports: The sun really seems to shine on the Balchin Gatherings, the weather was absolutely perfect. A real Indian summer, just like the weather we enjoyed last year at The Royal Holloway. […]

  • 2001 Balchin Family Gathering – Royal Holloway College

    The 2001 Family Society Gathering was held at Royal Holloway College near Egham in Surrey on Friday 14th to Sunday 16th September. The theme for this year’s Gathering was “Balchins in the Victorian Age”, exploring any connection with family life etc. during the reign of Queen Victoria (1837 – 1901).   After the Welcome by […]

  • 2000 Balchin Family Gathering – Portsmouth

    The theme of the Gathering was the Family connections with the Royal Navy. The only place we could hold this event was therefore at the heart of the Navy – Portsmouth. Saturday 7th October On Saturday morning, some departed on the Mystery Coach Tour, after landing a couple of stowaways from the HMS Conway Association, […]

  • 1999 Balchin Family Gathering – Aldershot

    The 1999 Gathering was held in the Prince’s Hall, Aldershot on Sunday 3rd October. Aldershot is 8 miles west of Guildford, just over the Surrey-Hampshire county border. The town has long been the major base of the British Army, and it was natural that the theme of the Gathering was ‘Balchins in the Service of […]

  • 1998 Balchin Family Gathering – Alfold, Surrey

    The 1998 Gathering was held on Saturday September 12th and Sunday 13th. For the first time, it was based in a village hail, at Alfold in Surrey, near the border with Sussex. On Saturday afternoon a coach trip took about 30 members to West Chiltington, where Jenny Dixon showed them round the picturesque village with […]

  • 1997 Balchin Family Gathering – Godalming

    The 1997 Gathering was held on Sunday September 14th in Godalming, and was organised by Pat Green, who reports as follows: Well, the day arrived fine and mild, what a relief – perhaps buying that umbrella the day before did the trick! That wasn’t the only task carried out in the days preceding – suddenly […]