Talk: House of Toomer – No Ordinary Family

Memories of The House of Toomer, the ironmongery store in Northbrook Street, are fading. But those who do remember it miss the eclectic mix of homewares, records, lawn mowers, tractors, and, of course, the hardware counter where men in brown coats would serve you a single screw with a smile. This talk is the story of the family behind that store, the ups and downs of a Newbury family with some astounding connections. The speaker is Phil Wood, a keen local historian, chair of the Newbury District Field Club and former customer of the House of Toomer. In 2004 he transcribed the 1815 census of Newbury for the Berkshire Family History Society. This census was taken by Joseph Toomer – who was this man, why did he take it upon himself to take a census of his home town? It started as an introduction for the publication of the census and grew – and grew. This talk is to complement the special exhibition, House of Toomer. Bookings close at 4pm on Tuesday 14 November. Book online: https://tinyurl.com/vu92vx59 Wednesday 15 November | 7pm | West Berkshire Museum | £5