May Meeting – Ken Hamilton – The Cold War in East Anglia

Our May meeting is on Saturday 16th May at 2.00pm in Needham Village Hall.

The Cold War impacted on society in Europe and North America on every level, from family life to films to politics for 43 years. It shaped civilian and military architecture and spawned numerous emergency schemes, as governments struggled to keep pace with the rate of technological change. Government divestment projects in recent years have seen many of these sites disappear through demolition, decay and development, and the necessity for secrecy has removed the meaning and context of others. This talk will concentrate on Cold War remains in East Anglia and how archaeology is used to understand them, manage them and, where appropriate, preserve them.

Ken Hamilton was brought up in Germany in the 1970s and 1980s and joined, then left, the armed forces to join CND. He studied archaeological sciences and then geophysics at the University of Bradford and has worked in civil engineering and archaeology. He is now Senior Historic Environment Officer at Norfolk County Council.

There will be the usual refreshments. Admission on the door is £2.00 for members, £3.00 for non members.

Needham Village Hall is at 52 High Road, Needham, IP20 9LB, next to the church.