The Lovelocks Alive 2004 gathering was held on Saturday 12th June 2004. As this was probably the largest ever meeting of people named Lovelock, and certainly the largest event ever arranged for those with an interest in Lovelock Family History, it has seemed appropriate to maintain a record of that day.

The following material provides a historical record of how the event was organized.

The Planning Group for the Gathering

Many thanks were due to:

Sadly Jeremy is no longer with us, having died in early 2022 following a long battle with illness, but his enthusiasm, thoroughness and attention to details, whilst ensuring that his fellow members of the Planning Group could focus on other matters, were some of the main reasons why the event was such a significant success.

Where and how much?

The Planning Group first met in the lobby of Jury's Hotel in Bristol in early 2003 to discuss the feasibility of a Gathering. They next met in Hungerford on Friday 11 July 2003 and following an inspection of the facilities at The Bear Hotel agreed that this would be the perfect venue for our Lovelock Family History Gathering in the following year.

At the time the Bear Hotel was run by the international hotel company Jarvis, which sadly foundered in 2011. However, The Bear is still there and was still very much in business until the 2020/2021 Coronavirus Pandemic struck. Fortunately it was able to re-open once restrictions were lifted.

The Hotel was once owned by Henry VII and Henry VIII and during the coaching era was a popular stopping point for coaches travelling between London and Bath. There were 41 comfortable bedrooms, many of which overlooked the River Dunn.

The cost per person of the event was £40 (equivalent to about £70 in 2024 and still a bargain!) and included:

• Morning Presentations (3 in number) and Displays of Lovelock artifacts and information
• Morning Tea and Coffee
• Buffet Lunch with Tea and Coffee
• A Coach Excursion in the afternoon to Wiltshire Villages associated with some early Lovelock families
• A Three Course Dinner, with a Guest Speaker
  

Bookings

The number attending had to be restricted to 75 people, the capacity of the Meeting Room at the time. The Planning Group initially hoped to get as many as 30 people to the event, but ultimately Janet and Jeremy had the task of conveying apologies to a considerable number of parties that the day was already fully subscribed.

Some of those attending are pictured here:

Local Information and some Photos

• Brochure - the Bear Hotel (in 2004)

• Street Plan of Hungerford (The Bear Hotel is at the top between "Bearwater" and the roundabout at the East end of Charnham Street)
  

Some photographs (taken by John Lovelock, descriptions courtesy of Jeremy Lovelock):

• The Bear Hotel

• The Kennet and Avon Canal, which passes close to the centre of Hungerford

• Another shot of the canal, with a lock gate

• The canal looking down Bridge Street towards the railway, with the High Street beyond

• A canal scene

• Hungerford House on the canal

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