Professional bow maker, Willy Rackham, details the history of longbows and arrows. A selection of bows and arrows will be on display to support this talk.

Phyllida Scrivens provides a unique account of the events that led to head-on collision between two Victorian steam trains outside of Norwich and explores the personalities and lives involved, including… Read More »The Great Thorpe Railway Disaster 1874: Heroes, Victims, Survivors

Janette Robinson’s talk is based on the memoirs written by a lady in her 90s, on growing up in the Wickham Market Workhouse. The talk looks at this family during… Read More »Voices from the Workhouse – Memories of a Suffolk Workhouse

Sarah Doig will look at the fascinating lives of the county’s heroines, including Suffolk artists, suffragettes, medical pioneers, dare-devils and writers.

John Walker, architectural historian, details the unique architectural styles and building techniques to be found in North Suffolk.

Kevin Pulford tells of the life and work of Suffolk born, Victorian weather predictor Orlando Whistlecraft.

Chris Broome provides an introduction to the fascinating world of heraldry and how it can be used to further family history research.

Pip Wright will tell of how, on the orders of Henry VIII, every single abbey and priory in England was dissolved or forcibly closed, and also of other previous royal actions to… Read More »The Dissolution of the Monasteries 

Cathy Shelborne tells of Admiral Lord Nelson who was High Steward of Ipswich and several of the women in his life who had close links with Suffolk, along with other… Read More »Lord Nelson and his Suffolk Connections, followed by AGM.

Stephen Poulter recreates vanished architectural gems using surviving period prints and the reports from travellers who visited the towns and villages during the past 400 years either for personal curiosity… Read More »Suffolk’s Lost Architecture

Angela Bell will tell how the first cryptic crossword was developed in the US and how it crossed the Atlantic in the 1930s. The talk will introduce key figures who… Read More »The Fascinating History of Cryptic Crosswords

Richard Symes will give an illustrated talk about the extraordinary tales of people and events from the 18th century to today and how the heath has changed. From the days… Read More »Turbulence to Tranquility, the History of Dunwich Heath