27/01/2026 Peter Aylmer
The sculpture heritage of Harlow
Harlow is rightly known as 'Sculpture Town', thanks to a growing collection of around 100 public works of art on continual display in its streets and public places. But how did this come about? Peter will trace how the new town's master planner, the renowned architect Frederick Gibberd, saw public art as integral to his conception of the town, and how that legacy has been developed since. He will also look at how the very plan of Harlow is itself something of a work of art, based on Gibberd's close understanding of the Essex landscape.
24/02/2026 Toby Faber
Faber & Faber: Ninety Years of Excellence in Cover Design
Toby Faber is the grandson of the founder of Faber & Faber, one of London’s most important literary publishing houses. This talk traces its history through its illustrations, covers and designs and looks at some of its most famous artists.
24/03/2026 John Ericson
Inn Signia
The art work and stories behind peculiar pub names.Have you ever wondered why we have so many pubs called 'The Red Lion' or 'The Crown'? Have you ever heard of 'The Bucket of Blood' or 'The Cow and Snuffers'? Come along and John will enlighten us.
28/04/2026 Philip McKinder
Lynmouth 1952 - An Unexpected Change in the Weather.
In this talk Philip explores the little town of Lynmouth in North Devon and what happened there in August 1952, that had an impact all over the world. Members will choose a hotel for their holiday and then he will walk them through the old village before finding out what happened to them on the night of 15th August, as they sit down for their evening meal.
26/05/2026 Siobhan Clarke
The House of Romanov
During 1917 violent revolutions tore Russia apart and set in place a communist regime. The murder of the Imperial family at Ekaterinburg in 1918 shook the world and still inspires a terrible fascination today. The beauty and innocence of the Romanov children would become emblems of a world that vanished forever.
23/06/2026 David Worsfold
Fleeing Hitler - the Civilian stories
Who were the 20,000? David will speak about the exodus of civilians to the Atlantic ports as well as the SS Madura's famous passengers. He will tell the stories of individuals from that of a 10 year old girl to the plight of the world's richest man.
28/07/2026 Peter Hewitt
A lifetime with my head in the clouds
Peter tells the complete story of his dreams as a fourteen-year-old schoolboy to his first airline job, gaining his first jet command at the age of twenty-nine and finishing on the mighty B747-400 ‘Jumbo Jet’. Peter’s story is poignant and funny, indeed sometimes hysterical
22/09/2026 Julian Whybra
History in the Landscape
How does history shape our landscape? Essex is particularly fortunate in this respect in that its settlement patterns can be traced back to the fifth century and its place names reveal the hidden origins and nature of the landscape around us. We will also discover what remains of our East Saxon origins today.
27/10/2026 Sandra Lawrence
The Folklore of Fungus
A return of Sandra Lawrence who previously spoke to us about Warley Place. She warns us that this talk has some gruesome photos with some rather rude looking fungi. Thsi makes her talk sound even more intriguing.
24/11/2026 Sarah Slater
Secrets, Scandal and Salacious Gossip of the Royal Court, 1660 to 1830
Sarah will talk about all the naughty bits of history that we probably didn’t learn about at school! She will reveal some royal scandals and secrets including a look at the role of royal mistresses. We all enjoyed Sarah’s previous talk on kirtles and corsets and this one sounds as though it will be equally entertaining.
26/01/2027 Andrew J Baker
The Crumbling of Old Certainties; British Politics in Turmoil
What factors lie behind the recent upheavals that we faced; Brexit, the NHS, Covid, foodbanks? Come and hear Andrew's views on these points. An established favourite, Andrew always has interesting points to make about our politcal situation.
23/02/2027 Imogen Corrigan
Thomas Becket
This talk charts Becket’s rise from being a reluctant scholar who loved sports to being one of the most powerful men in the land. It follows his disputes with Henry II culminating in his shocking end and it tries to find the man behind the robes of office he loved so much. It is a story of great drama, but a human one, nonetheless.