Reports on past meetings

After a delicious lunch, we were treated to a very interesting talk about the North Norfolk Railway, by Mr Trevor Eady. After retiring from aviation, he became in 2006 a volunteer guard on the NNR and eventually became General Manager (now retired). Under his watch more trains were added to the timetable as were many more… [Continue Reading]

“Toothache, Saints and Churches” was the intriguing title of the talk by Dr John F Beal, MBE, PhD, Honorary Senior Lecturer at Leeds University. He is also an NHS Consultant and a former Chairman of the Lindsey Society for the History of Dentistry.  He began by asking whether toothache had been a problem in mediaeval England. Letters… [Continue Reading]

With the long hot summer we have been having, it is hard to imagine the bleak and cold Russian Far East.  This however was the subject of a talk given to us on Tuesday 3 July by Mr Roger Townsin.  Roger’s trip was  an “Expedition Cruise” which  began in Japan but which focussed on the… [Continue Reading]

On Tuesday 1 May, our speaker was Mr Arthur Bailey on “Confessions of a Coach Driver”, though the talk was far less lurid than the title suggests!  Arthur spoke about the many trials and tribulations of his long career as a coach driver — for example, driving a group around Ireland with a tour “guide”… [Continue Reading]

On Tuesday 3 April, we enjoyed a most informative talk by Chris Boxall, who has been a guide at Houghton Hall for 23 years, on the subject of “Houghton Hall and Walpole”. Chris pointed out that Sir Robert Walpole remains the longest-serving prime minister in British history, and was the first English minister to occupy… [Continue Reading]

On Tuesday 6 March, we were given a lively and and most informative talk by Dr Paul Richards, entitled England and the Hanseatic League: the Wash Ports. Dr Richards, an honorary alderman and former mayor of Kings Lynn, focussed his talk on Kings Lynn and on Boston, while bringing some other ports, notably Hull and… [Continue Reading]

On Tuesday 6 February, we were given an excellent and enthusiastic talk by Simon Kinder, deputy head at Gresham’s School, and a history teacher for 14 years. The advertised title had been “Four Closet Communists”, though the talk mentioned others also who eventually became spies; many of these had been educated locally. Throughout the ages… [Continue Reading]

On 9 January we were treated to a delightful talk on “Jewish Humour through the Ages”, by Mr Alex Bennett, a former minister of the synagogue in Norwich. He pointed out that much Jewish humour derives from the times of persecution that Jews have suffered down the ages – being able to laugh at themselves… [Continue Reading]

We were given a very interesting talk, entitled ‘Museum Experiences’, by Lisa Little, who recently became the Museum & Collections Manager of the Sheringham Museum. With a background in textile and costume conservation and as a social historian, she gave us an illustrated talk on some of the many interesting experiences and tasks of her… [Continue Reading]

We were treated to an illustrated talk entitled “Wildlife Facts from around the World”, by Dr Kevin Elsby, FRPS. Photography has been a lifelong interest of his and this was shown in the impressive, professional quality of his photographs. Beginning with the Arctic and working his way South, Kevin treated us to a feast of… [Continue Reading]