Stoke Local History Group

toke Local History Group was founded by John Marshall in the summer of 2018, following the local community's restoration of the Joseph Levi Clock at Stoke Green two years earlier, which had heightened awareness of local history.
The group meets regularly at Stoke Library during the winter and holds outdoor events in the summer. Group activities focus not just on Stoke but also on the wider local history of Coventry. A monthly newsletter or journal, now known as Jabet's Ash, was created in September 2020.

Monthly meetings and newsletters

The newsletters are far more than simple "what's on" publications but contain in-depth local history articles and much more besides.

The year of publication can be selected below - then click the month, which will open a PDF file in a new browser tab, or in your own PDF programme, depending on your computer's settings.

2025

Read newsletters:	Newsletter contents:	Meetings / outings: (10:30am at Stoke Library unless otherwise stated)
January	Sir Henry Parkes - the remarkable story of a poor farmer's boy from Canley -- Charterhouse links with National Trust -- Hidden in plain sight: Pool Meadow mosaic is a lasting legacy of City of Culture -- A colourful welcome at FarGo Village
February	Spotlight on John Gulson, George Singer and other 19th century Mayors of Coventry -- Swan Lane photograph reveals early football ground exit in 1907 -- Summerhouses restoration almost complete -- Alice Arnold - a trailblazer for women and all working people	Fri 7th Feb Sheila Woolf talks about the life of Sir Henry Parkes.
March	'Plaques, people and places' -- Old Ball closed and boarded up -- Goodbye City Arcade - and farewell to Shelton Square, Market Way and Bull Yard	Fri 7th Feb Ian Woolley talks about 'Coventry Mayors in the 19th Century'.
April	'Women of Coventry' - a spring city centre walking tour -- National School, Stoke Green, circa 1947 -- Libraries will move soon, council confirms -- Emblem of a bygone age - the old red telephone box	Fri 4th Apr 'Plaques, people and places'. Talk by Phil Tutchings.
May	'Coventry's best kept secret' - the tiny Blitz Museum (next group visit will be there, Friday June 20th, meet at 10.30am) -- Charterhouse reopens under National Trust control -- A brief history of the British post box	Wed 21st May 'Women of Coventry'. A city centre walking tour led by social historian Adam Wood.
June	A walk on the wild side - exploring the nature of Charterhouse Heritage Park (Group visit, Thursday 17th July, 11am) -- Out and about - summer visits and walks -- A man for all seasons: John Gulson	Fri 20th Jun Visit to the 'Coventry Blitz Museum', start 10.30am.
July	Demolition plan for 'The Langleys', the oldest house at Stoke Green -- Bishop Yeatman-Biggs and the Lady Chapel -- Summer events at the Anglican Chapel, London Road Cemetery -- Back issues of Jabet's Ash available online	Thu 17th Jul Guided walk around the grounds of Charterhouse Heritage Park with John Payne of the Coventry Society, starting at 11am.
August	Coventry's rich history unveiled during Heritage Open Days -- Behind the scenes at the Telegraph Hotel -- Hexagonal post box -- The Langleys - plan withdrawn -- Final closure for city's oldest shoe shop - once destroyed in the Blitz -- Exploring Charterhouse fields
September	'A bomb in a bicycle basket' - the IRA bombing in Broadgate, 1939 -- Another busy year ... Annual Report, 2025, Stoke Local History Group -- Dates for your diary - talks for the year ahead -- W H Smith makes historic exit from Coventry city centre
October	Remembering the Blitz - the story of Olga Stew -- Cathedral to commemorate 85th anniversary of Coventry Blitz -- 'Moonlight Sonata' - the air raid of November 1940 -- A house called Hope's Harbour	Fri 3rd Oct Adam Wood talks about 'The Bombing of Broadgate, 1939'.
November	Coventry's trailblazing post-war Precinct: A tale of two architects -- City Arcade disappears into the dust -- Chace Hotel on London Road sold for £1.7 million	Fri 7th Nov 'Remembering the Blitz', by Chris West.
December	Historic Baginton Aerodrome set to close in June -- Events in January	Fri 5th Dec Donald Gibson and Arthur Ling: A tale of two architects. Talk by David Fry.

Read newsletters:

Newsletter contents:

Meetings / outings:

(10:30am at Stoke Library unless otherwise stated)

January

Sir Henry Parkes - the remarkable story of a poor farmer's boy from Canley -- Charterhouse links with National Trust -- Hidden in plain sight: Pool Meadow mosaic is a lasting legacy of City of Culture -- A colourful welcome at FarGo Village

February

Spotlight on John Gulson, George Singer and other 19th century Mayors of Coventry -- Swan Lane photograph reveals early football ground exit in 1907 -- Summerhouses restoration almost complete -- Alice Arnold - a trailblazer for women and all working people

Fri 7th Feb Sheila Woolf talks about the life of Sir Henry Parkes.

March

'Plaques, people and places' -- Old Ball closed and boarded up -- Goodbye City Arcade - and farewell to Shelton Square, Market Way and Bull Yard

Fri 7th Feb Ian Woolley talks about 'Coventry Mayors in the 19th Century'.

April

'Women of Coventry' - a spring city centre walking tour -- National School, Stoke Green, circa 1947 -- Libraries will move soon, council confirms -- Emblem of a bygone age - the old red telephone box

Fri 4th Apr 'Plaques, people and places'. Talk by Phil Tutchings.

May

'Coventry's best kept secret' - the tiny Blitz Museum (next group visit will be there, Friday June 20th, meet at 10.30am) -- Charterhouse reopens under National Trust control -- A brief history of the British post box

Wed 21st May 'Women of Coventry'. A city centre walking tour led by social historian Adam Wood.

June

A walk on the wild side - exploring the nature of Charterhouse Heritage Park (Group visit, Thursday 17th July, 11am) -- Out and about - summer visits and walks -- A man for all seasons: John Gulson

Fri 20th Jun Visit to the 'Coventry Blitz Museum', start 10.30am.

July

Demolition plan for 'The Langleys', the oldest house at Stoke Green -- Bishop Yeatman-Biggs and the Lady Chapel -- Summer events at the Anglican Chapel, London Road Cemetery -- Back issues of Jabet's Ash available online

Thu 17th Jul Guided walk around the grounds of Charterhouse Heritage Park with John Payne of the Coventry Society, starting at 11am.

August

Coventry's rich history unveiled during Heritage Open Days -- Behind the scenes at the Telegraph Hotel -- Hexagonal post box -- The Langleys - plan withdrawn -- Final closure for city's oldest shoe shop - once destroyed in the Blitz -- Exploring Charterhouse fields

September

'A bomb in a bicycle basket' - the IRA bombing in Broadgate, 1939 -- Another busy year ... Annual Report, 2025, Stoke Local History Group -- Dates for your diary - talks for the year ahead -- W H Smith makes historic exit from Coventry city centre

October

Remembering the Blitz - the story of Olga Stew -- Cathedral to commemorate 85th anniversary of Coventry Blitz -- 'Moonlight Sonata' - the air raid of November 1940 -- A house called Hope's Harbour

Fri 3rd Oct Adam Wood talks about 'The Bombing of Broadgate, 1939'.

November

Coventry's trailblazing post-war Precinct: A tale of two architects -- City Arcade disappears into the dust -- Chace Hotel on London Road sold for £1.7 million

Fri 7th Nov 'Remembering the Blitz', by Chris West.

December

Historic Baginton Aerodrome set to close in June -- Events in January

Fri 5th Dec Donald Gibson and Arthur Ling: A tale of two architects. Talk by David Fry.