8 June 1927 – 18 January 2025
Beryl came to Windsor in September 1962, and from 1971 until 1982, she owned a bookshop with her husband David, who sadly died in 1994. She soon got involved with local history and in 1975, joined Judith Hunter, who ran a course in connection with the local branch of the WEA entitled Discovering Your Town. This led to the formation of the Windsor Local History Group and the annual publication of Windlesora. Beryl was a founding member and, lately, the President of the Group.
When the museum in the Guildhall was closed in 1982, Beryl was one of a group of volunteers who helped Judith move the museum collection to a small room at the Museum Archive. Judith campaigned for more space for the collection and organised open days, talks and an annual exhibition in the Guildhall. The store was open on Wednesdays for researchers and general visitors, but there was always Beryl and a group of volunteers who gathered around the large round table to help Judith look after the collection, catalogue items, and organise her exhibitions and talks.
In 1988, Beryl published her first book: Windsor in old Photographs, followed by Around Windsor in old Photographs in 1992.
In 1991, a decision was made by the museum volunteers to start a Friends Group. Their aim was to help Judith in her work, raise funds and make financial contributions to purchase items for the museum collection. Beryl was a founding member. She became the group’s secretary in 1993, and after Norman Oxley resigned in 2002, she took on the chair of the group for four years. Committee meetings were always held at her home.
After Judith died in 2004, Beryl supported an appeal to get a museum in Windsor. She started the 5d collection and made personal contributions. She remained an active committee member of the Friends of the Windsor & Royal Borough Museum. On her 95th birthday, she was still selling raffle tickets at the AGM of the Friends.
In 2011 she received an invitation from the Mayor to the official opening of the Windsor & Royal Borough Museum by Her Majesty the Queen, on Friday 9th December 2011. This was in recognition of her work towards getting a museum in Windsor. For a while she was a regular museum volunteer until the stairs defeated her.
Beryl was also an active member of the Windsor and Eton Society and, for 35 years, a Steward Emeritus of St George’s Chapel. Her charitable work included the Macmillan nurses with regular coffee mornings and the Windsor Hospice.
Beryl died at Merlewood Care Home, where she had been since November 2023.
Brigitte Mitchell
Windlesora Articles
Beryl in the News
With thanks to the Maidenhead Advertiser. Please do visit their website to see these articles or order high-quality photographs.
Friends of Windsor Museum 