Note from the General Manager

[pg3][fg]jpg||Richard[/fg]I’m delighted to share this latest issue of the magazine with you, especially as the Society and many local groups have been incredibly active over the past few months since our last edition.

November marked the beginning of work on the Silence of the Sentinels Project in North Yorkshire. We are currently seeking to analyse up to fourteen skeletons at the Natural History Museum, which were recovered from two signal stations over a century ago. Our geophysical survey work has commenced at the Goldsborough site and is already yielding promising results. John Townsend and I had the opportunity to survey a picturesque coastal landscape, successfully mapping the precise extent of a former Roman signal station using resistivity and magnetometry techniques. We plan to return in February for further survey work, which has us looking forward to more discoveries.

Closer to home, our newest student placement from Five Acre Wood School in Maidstone has been an invaluable asset in helping catalogue the archive of Dr Brian Philp at our Marsham Street offices. The Society has successfully hosted four engaging conferences focused on Fieldwork, Kent Place Names, Historic Buildings, and Maritime history. Additionally, the Allen Grove Fund met in November to allocate nearly £2,000 to support local history publications. We have also seen great participation in our online talks, and the positive feedback on our new website content is encouraging, along with a steady increase in visitor traffic.

While we have much work ahead, it’s important to address our financial situation constructively. We are in the process of submitting grant applications that aim to support our objectives moving forward. Starting in 2025, two of our full- time staff members, including myself, will adjust our hours to ensure we remain cost-effective and sustainable.

I’d like to end on a positive note. I encourage you to dive into the rest of Craig’s first issue as Editor. Let’s support him on this exciting journey and wish him every success in his new role!

All the best,
Richard