Celebrating 30 years of WDPS

Today we are marking a small but meaningful moment in the life of Wheathampstead.

This time capsule commemorates 30 years of the Wheathampstead & District Preservation Society — three decades of care, commitment, and quiet determination to protect what makes this village special, while helping it to grow and change with confidence.

Today 17 December – but in 1995 was the inaugural meeting of WDPS – and we are delighted that Annie Hitch and Chris Coles  – two people from the original committee can join us today.   They must have been very young in 1995!

Inside the capsule are many local treasures: familiar publications such as The PUMP, copies of WDPS newsletters, and other snapshots of everyday life in Wheathampstead today. Together, they tell the story of who we are, what matters to us, and how we see our place in the world at this moment in time.

But perhaps the most important items of all are the letters from the children of St Helen’s and Beech Hyde primary schools — messages written by young voices to the children of the future. These letters remind us that preservation is not only about buildings, landscapes, and history, but about people, hopes, and the responsibility we hold for generations yet to come.

By burying this time capsule, we are offering a gift to the future: a record of community, curiosity, and care. And in doing so, we celebrate not just the past 30 years of WDPS, but the enduring spirit of Wheathampstead itself.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this possible, and to all who continue to look after this special place we call home.

Here’s to the new generation that will find this capsule in 30 years.