Our stall at the 2009
Kirby Muxloe Fun Day

We support village events, such as the annual Kirby Muxloe Fun Day. The photo (left) shows our stall in 2009, outside on the playing fields. High winds and inclement weather at such events mean that these days, we usually "pitch our stall" inside, in the Village Hall, opposite the Refreshment Area.

We enjoy chatting to vistors to our stall about the history of our village. Sometimes, they are kind enough to bring along postcards, photographs, slides or documents relating to Kirby's past, which we gratefully copy and return.

We are also extremely grateful for any donations of material relevant to the history and heritage of our village. In this context, "history" means anything that happened yesterday or earlier !

Our stall in 2014 at the Beaumanor Hall
Heritage Fair

We also support County events that are heritage related. The photo (left) shows our stall at the 2014 Leicestershire Heritage Fair, held at Beaumanor Hall. These events are a good opportunity for us to meet people outside of our village who share an interest in local history and heritage. We often offer our publications for sale at these events.

These events also offer opportunities for us to share information with local history groups and residents of neighbouring villages.

Our own Photo Exhibition in 2014

From time to time, we organise exhibitions of our own. The photo (left) shows our Photographic Exhibition of 2014, held in our Village Hall.

We were very pleased that not only did we get hundreds of people coming through the door, but many people said how much they had enjoyed the event.

We usually bring along copying facilities to these events, so that anyone bringing along heritage items can have them copied or photographed there and then.

2014 Visit to Bede House

In July each year, we usually organise an outing for our members, although non-members are also welcome to apply to come along too. In 2014, we visited Bede House, an English Heritage property in Lyddington.

The lovely weather (which we didn't organise!) meant that everyone was able to walk around this very pretty village as well.

Richard III facial reconstruction

The majority of our meetings include a talk by an external speaker. In 2015, we were fortunate to welcome Richard Buckley to talk to us about "The King under the Car Park". Richard was the Project Manager responsible for the excavation that discovered the remains of King Richard III.

Richard Buckley is a member of the Leicester University Archaeological Department, who were also responsible for the facial reconstruction of King Richard's bust, from the archaeological evidence.

Our 10th Anniversary Cake

In 2016, we celebrated our 10th anniversary with a special cake at our AGM. There was plenty for everyone, with a complementary glass of wine to wash it down !

2016 Roll Out The Barrel Event

We have a tradition of organising, in November of alternate years, a party event for our members. In 2016, it was titled "Roll Out The Barrel" and included a professional vocalist, who sang many of the familiar popular songs from years gone by.

It was an opportunity for people to eat, drink and be merry, and join in with the sing-along. History can be fun, after all !

A sample of items
from our archives

Over the years since our foundation, we have amassed a large archive of items relating to Kirby's heritage. The photo shows a small sample, illustrating the wide range of objects that we hold.

We welcome donations of items for our archive, but we are also pleased to be allowed to scan or photograph items for our "Virtual Library". This is a collection on computer of images of documents, photographs, slides, postcards, objects, books, etc.

With the digitisation of Land Registry records, many house deeds are no longer needed for legal reasons and so are often consigned to the dustbin ! With this one brief act, part of our heritage vanishes forever. If you own house deeds in Kirby, can we photograph them for posterity ? Please contact us using the details on our home page.

The 1620's House

In July 2017, our visit was to the newly-refurbished "1620's House" at Donington le Heath.

Our excellent tour guides gave us a fascinating insight into life in the 17th century, both for the better-off and for those "below stairs".

We learned about the Herle and Pakeman families who had connections not only to Donington, but also to our own village of Kirby Muxloe.

The weather cooperated and so there was also an opportunity to stroll around the garden and maze

Bradgate House and Park

In 2018, we visited Bradgate Park and the ruins of Bradgate House, in the company of an expert guide.

There was something for everyone – history, archaeology, garden design, flora and fauna, and, of course, the underpinning story of the Grey Family. The fate of Lady Jane Grey will be known to most, but our guide also gave us a potted history of the background and context of the tale.

Although the house is now in ruins, a chapel still remains and this has been used to house some exhibits that illustrate the history of the Grey family. There are some picturesque reproduction tapestries and wall coverings, in addition to the original alabaster mausoleum that honours the memory of Henry and Anne Grey.

With a light breeze and a setting sun, it had been a lovely evening for a gentle stroll through the park. The tales of Bradgate Park, the house and the Greys made it an event to remember.

Our 2018 Exhibition: Kirby's Past

Our 2018 Exhibition, titled "Kirby's Past", displayed many photographs not previously exhibited, as well as memorabilia connected with World Wars 1 and 2.

We showed what life was like for the Air Raid Precautions (ARP) Wardens, through the records that they received and created.

Many of our visitors brought along documents and photographs, either as donations to our archives or for us to copy. These are always welcome.