Previous Speakers and photos from past summer visits

For details of our current speakers (or summer visits depending on time of year) please go to our talks and visits page. If you are not a member of the Society then please do join us, the larger our membership the more influence we can bring over matters of concern.

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Past speakers from season 2023/2024

September	Kate Hall, Creative Producer, Jumped Up Theatre - Culture & The Arts in Peterborough: Where we are, where we should be
October	Alan Stubbs, vice president, Buglife, The Invertebrate Conservation Trust - Saving the small creatures that run the Earth - we depend on them
November	David Lowndes, Press Photographer - Fifty years at the Peterborough Telegraph ... and beyond
December	Darren Sharpe, Natural & Historic Environment Manager, Peterborough City Council - The Strategy and Plan for Managing Peterborough's Trees and Green Spaces
January	Shamus Reddin, 2 Mechanical Transport Squadron, RAF Wittering - RAF Wittering, a Z-A of defending the UK from Zeppelins to Atomic Ware and 100 years of everything in between
February	Gemma Cook, Assistant Director of Operations, Cross Keys Homes - Delivering Social Housing in Peterborough
March	Dr Anna Keay OBE, Director of the Landmark Trust - Living Landmarks : buildings and history past and present
April	Tansey Castledine, Director of Music, Peterborough Cathedral - Reaching the High Notes: Cathedral Music in our Time
May	Chris Cooper, Peterborough Cycle Forum and Matt Barber, Head of Partnerships, Midland and East Sustrans - Peterborough, a cycling city?

Photos from the 2023 summer visits

Sadly no photos were provided from the visit to Bourne, webmaster unable to go on that one.

Photos from King's Cliffe All Saints and St James Church and village double click image to see full size

Photos from Crowland Abbey double click image to see full size

Past speakers from season 2022/2023

September	Helen Jones, manager of Peterborough CAB - History and the work of the Citizens Advice Bureau
October	Dr Francis Prior - The Fens
November	Matt Gladstone - Vision for Peterborough
December	Stuart Orme - Cromwell did not cancel Christmas
January	Geoff Sayers - History of Peterborough Volunteer Fire Brigade
February	Dr Janina Ramirez - Femina: A New History of the Middle Ages Through the Women Written Out of It
March	Dr Avril Lumley-Prior - The Mineral Water Manufacturers of Peterborough, circa 1846-1993
April	Nicola Oldfield - Following in Vermuyden's Footsteps
May	David Pennell, Chief Executive, Burghley House Preservation Trust - Update on latest projects of Burghley Estates

Pictures from summer visits in 2022

Photos from Hidden Gems visit to Minster Precincts double click to see full size

Last two pictures show Henry Mansell Duckett who gave us such an informative tour of the Minster Precincts

Photos from Southwick Hall and St Mary's Church double click to see full size

and St Mary and All Saints Church, Fotheringhay

Photos from John Clare Cottage and St Boltolph's Church double click to see full size

Committee members Toby Wood and Peter Lee gave us a presentation about John Clare, his life, some examples of his poems, and other appreciations that have been written about Clare over the years, while we were at the John Clare Cottage; Toby kindly giving all attendees a handout to take away of their joint presentation. We then had the opportunity to explore the cottage with the aid of a handheld audio guide. Then we had tea and cakes, and moved on, passing his memorial to St Botolph's Church to see his grave, when Toby gave further readings. Committee member Henry Mansell Duckett then gave a presenation on the architectural features of the church. A most interesting time was had by all.

Toby and Peter's joint presentation of John Clare is available for download (follow the link), and more of Toby's literary writings which have been published by the various local media can be found by visiting the local media page.

The memorial to John Clare

St Boltolph's Church, Helpston and John Clare's grave

Photos from Ramsey Rural Museum part of the visit

Then we moved on to the Ramsey Abbey Walled Garden

Past speakers from season 2021/2022

September	Tom Hennessy, Director, Opportunity Peterborough - Peterborough Exciting Developments 2021
October	David Stazicker, Trustee of the Cambridgeshire Historic Churches Trust - Cambridgeshire Historic Churches in the Peterborough area and the work of the Trust
November	David D'Arcy - D'Arcy Jewellers, Peterborough's Oldest Shop
December	Chris Carr, Briga and friends - Yule logs and Boy Bishops, a look at Medieval Christmas Customs
January	Brian Keegan - Peterborough Bridges
February	Richard Astle - John Clare Countryside: Enhancing Peterborough's Rural, Natural and Built Heritage
March	Ken Otter - The Stamford Canal - the earliest canal in England
April	Stephen Oliver, Cathedral Architect - Developments at Peterborough Cathedral
May	Mahmood Foroughi, Senior Responsible Officer for Higher Education at the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, and acting ARU Programme Director - A Peterborough university update

Pictures from summer visits in 2021

Photos from Fletton Quays and Embankment

Photos from Peakirk visit

Photos from Shuttleworth visit

2020/2021

With the continuing lock-down due to the Coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic, all social activity remained suspended, so our speaker season could not start as intended from September 2020 at St Marks Church hall. With around 80% of our membership having internet access, and to try and get back to some normality, with the co-operation of our speakers we investigated possibility of setting up virtual talks that our members could join remotely through Zoom, and these successfully commenced from January 2021.

January	Stuart Orme, curator of the Cromwell Museum - Oliver Cromwell
February	Dr Liz Davies, curator of St Neots Museum - Victorian Crime and Punishment
March	Toby Wood, vice-chair of our Society - Peterborough's Blue Plaques Phase 2

2019/2020

September	Marcus Horrell - The Horrell Family in Peterborough
October	Professor Susan Oosthuizen - The Emergence of the English
November	Julie Spence OBE QPN Lord Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire - The Role and Duties of the Lord Lieutenant
December	Michael Lee - The Bells of Henry Penn
January	Tom Grimes, Chair of SGS Trustees - Three Hundred Years of the Spalding Gentlemen's Society
February	Kate Carver, Project Manager of the Great Fen Project - The Great Fen Project
March	Steven Pettican, Light Project Manager - The Light Project in Peterborough and Homelessness in Peterborough

Talks for April and May, and future social activity suspended due to Coronavirus pandemic Covid-19 lock-down

2018/2019

September	Charlie Kitchin of RSPB Nene Washes Reserve - Breeding Birds, Grazing and Flood Management in the Washes
October	Dr Jonathan Foyle - Peterborough Cathedral - a Glimpse of Heaven
November	Dr Francis Pryor - Britain's Hidden Landscapes
December	Dr Mike Osborne - The Civil War in the Fens
January	Dr Melissa Thompson - 70 Years of Listed Buildings
February	Brian White - The Travelling Post Office and 40 Years of Nene Valley Railway
March	Jed Jaggard - The Roman Soldier from Invasion to Withdrawl
April	Mike Petty - Vanishing Cambridgeshire
May	Jan Hunt - Ely Cathedral - its History and Symbolism

2017/2018

September	James Fairburn of Oxford Archaeology East - Excavation of Spitfire X4593, Holme Fen
October	Reverend Peter Morrell - The Russell Family of Thornhaugh and links with Thorney
November	James Palmer, Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority Development plans for the new Authority
December	Kevin Trickett, President of the Wakefield Civic Society - Remaking of Wakefield Civic Society
January	Mark Knight, site director of Must Farm excavation - The pile dwellings of Must Farm
February	June and Vernon Bull - History of St John the Baptist Parish Church
March	Jill Collinge, Stamford town Blue Badge guide - The Jewel in the Crown (the history of Stamford)
April	Veronica Bennett, National Trust speaker - The Gardens of the National Trust

2016/2017

October	Stuart Orme, Head of Operations, Peterborough Cathdral 'Preparations for the 900th Anniversary of Peterborough Cathedral in 2018'
November	David Bond, lecturer - 'Church Towers in the Landscape'
December	Sue Knight, Holme historian - 'Holmewood Hall - its history and surroundings'
January	Paul Chamberlain, author and historian - 'The Napoeleonic Prisoner of War Camp at Norman Cross'
February	David Crawford White of Oxford Archaeology East - 'The Romans of Fane Road, Peterborough'
March	Philip Parker, Environmental Consultant - 'The natural hsitory of Whittlesey Brick Pits'
April	David Reeve, formerly of the Royalty Protection Squad - 'Recollections from protecting our Royals at Sandringham'

2015/2016

October	Ian Harvey, Campaigns Manager for Civic Voice - 'Civic Voice and the civic movement nationally'
November	Richard Hunt, Peterborough Archives Manager - 'Unbuilt Peterborough -unrealised plans for the city'
December	Liz Knight, Academic Director of University Centre Peterborough - 'University Centre, Peterborough Five Years On'
January	Mark Edwards, Editor at Peterborough Telegraph - 'Is there room for a local newspaper in this modern world?'
February	David Pennell, Estates Director for Burghley Estate - 'The Burghley House Estate'
March	Toby Wood, Vice-chairman of Peterborough Civic Society - 'Peterborough Blue Plaque project' Since Toby gave this talk the project is completed, do visit our Peterborough Plaques page.
April	Neil Mitchell, local historian - 'Reminders of Peterborough in the 1960s and 1970s'

2014/2015

October	Edward Hamilton of Amey - 'Can't see the Cathedral for the trees' (tree management in Peterborough)
November	David Grech of English Heritage - 'The new role of English Heritage in Peterborough'
December	Roger Coulthard of Baker Perkins Historical Society - 'The Hisotry of Baker Perkins'
January	Neil Mitchell, local historian - 'The Life and Works of John Thompson - builder' (see our plaque)
February	Paul Hutton OBE of William Scott Abbott Trust - 'Recent developments at Sacrewell Farm and Nene Park Trust'
March	David Gray, author - 'Peterborough men killed in the Great War'

2013/2014

October	Sir Graham Bright, Cambridgeshire Police & Crime Commissioner 'My work as the Cambridgeshire Police and Crime Commissioner'
November	His Honour Judge Christopher Young - 'The Crown Court of Peterborough and its origins'
December	Neil Mitchell, Local historian - 'Peterborough Tram History'
January	Annette Joyce, City Centre Forum manager - 'Peterborough City Centre Plans & Tourism'
February	Richard Hillier, Archivist at Vivacity 'The Peterborough Land Company and The Victorian Development of Peterborough'
March	Paul Smith, Archivist at Thomas Cook -'Thomas Cook and the origins of Popular Tourism'

page last changed 10 June 2024