James Wisdom is retiring after 42 years as chair of the Brentford & Chiswick Local History Society. The charity is looking for a successor: what the role involves.

James Wisdom is stepping down as chair of the Brentford & Chiswick Local History Society after 42 years. The society is now looking for someone to take over.

It announced the search on Wednesday 14 October. The new chair does not need to be an expert historian, and does not need to be a member until they are appointed.

Four decades of local history

The society was founded in 1958. Its notes say the Brentford & Chiswick library service set it up to support efforts to revive the Victoria County History, the national project to write the history of every county in England. The hope was that the society would help with research for the Middlesex volumes.

It is run entirely by volunteers. It became a registered charity in 2025.

Mr Wisdom’s record is set out on the society’s page about his award. In June 2009 the British Association for Local History gave him a Personal Achievement Award for encouraging interest in the history of Brentford and Chiswick. The society’s citation from that time says he:

  • wrote a 1976 MA thesis on the suburban development of Chiswick
  • ran local history evening classes in the 1980s and co-edited the early issues of the society’s journal
  • founded the Friends of Gunnersbury Park and Museum and was a founding member of the Friends of Chiswick House
  • campaigned to stop the sale of Hogarth’s House, and helped raise money for the statue of Hogarth
  • led the campaign to keep the Thomas Layton Collection in the area, and went on to chair the Layton Trust
  • led the society’s work with the Battlefields Trust marking the Chiswick V2 and the Battles of Brentford and Turnham Green

What the society is looking for

The society says the new chair should be interested in the history of the landscape and communities of Brentford and Chiswick. It wants someone with “proven management skills and experience of the charitable sector, preferably at board level”.

The role includes:

  • leading the team of trustees on governance and strategy
  • chairing the monthly trustee meetings and the public lectures
  • helping to recruit new members, including younger people
  • speaking up for the society with the council and the wider local history world

What it means for you

  • If you are interested in the role, the society asks candidates to email info@brentfordandchiswicklhs.org.uk. It has not published a closing date.
  • If you just want to go along, the society holds free monthly talks from September to April, with an AGM in May. Members receive an annual journal.
  • The next talk is on Monday 19 October at 7.30pm at Chiswick Memorial Club, Bourne Place, W4. Jeremy Lonsdale will speak on Patsy Hendren, the Middlesex and England cricketer who was born in Turnham Green and also played football for Brentford. The society says all are welcome and admission is free, with donations from non-members welcome. Details are on its website.

For more to do in the area, see our guide to things to do in Chiswick.