Archive of the last few years’ programmes, for reference.
For the up-to-date version of this year’s programme, please look here.
Programme of talks 2024-5
We have arranged an exciting and varied programme of talks for the coming year. We do hope you will come. The programme of visits for Summer 2025 is below.
During the winter half of the year meetings are held in the United Free Church, Riverside, Framlingham and start at 7.30pm unless otherwise indicated. Talks are free to members or £3 to non members. The programme of talks for 2025-6 will be announced in the early Autumn.
| Date | Subject | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| Wed 23rd Oct 2024 | Doodlebugs & Rockets in Suffolk | John Bridges |
| Wed 27th Nov 2024 | Before the AGM: Film Show: George Ewart Evans, a Writer’s Suffolk | Jim Cecil |
| After the film: AGM | ||
| Wed 11th Dec 2024 | “Overpaid, Oversexed and Over Here”: The USAAF in World War II | Geoffrey Kay |
| Wed 22nd Jan 2025 | (Zoom Lecture) “The Resurrection of the Medieval Rood” | Timothy Easton |
| Wed 26th Feb 2025 | The Great Colchester Earthquake of 1884 | Dr Jonathan Belsey |
| Wed 26th March 2025 | Wingfield and the de la Poles | Edward Martin |
| Wed 23th April 2025 | The Story of the Mid-Suffolk Light Railway | John Reeve |
Summer Visits 2025
Each Summer we arrange a number of visits to locations of historic interest in Suffolk, normally with expert guides to show us round. Often we are able to see locations not open to the public. Click the links in the table below for more details.
You need to book, and please download this form, and follow the instructions in it, including how to pay. Please return the completed form preferably by email to alisonpickup@btinternet.com.
Each Summer we arrange a number of visits to locations of historic interest in Suffolk, normally with expert guides to show us round. Often we are able to see locations not open to the public.
Some events may be limited in the number of attendees, in which case priority in booking may be given to members (so if you’re not a member, why not join now).
| Date | Visit | Ticket Price |
|---|---|---|
| Friday 23rd May, 2pm | The Food Museum, Stowmarket | £16 |
| Tuesday 24th June, 2.30pm | Linden House, Eye | £15 |
| Friday 4th July, 10.30am | Wingfield College | £15 |
Each visit is designed to add to our visit something over the normal visitor experience. In the case of the Food Museum we get a guided tour including a view of areas not generally available plus a season’s free admission to the Museum. The visit to Linden House allows us to see inside a private historic house not usually open to the public and includes tea and scones! Wingfield College is in private hands but we have unique opportunity to visit followed by a tour of the church, all under the guidance of Edward Martin. We hope this offers a varied agenda and would advise booking as soon as possible, as places are limited.
Programme of talks 2023-4
The season of talks has now finished, the programme of visits for Summer 2024 is below.
Meetings are held in the United Free Church, Riverside, Framlingham and start at 7.30pm unless otherwise indicated.
| Date | Subject | Speaker |
|---|---|---|
| Wed 18th October 2023 | The Medieval Farming Year in Pictures | Alison Bowman |
| Wed 15th November 2023 | AGM | |
| After the AGM: The 1931 Pageant: a recently discovered film of this amazing event | John Bridges | |
| Wed 6th December 2023 Unitarian Meeting House | Special event: The Harbour Lights Trio will entertain us with a programme of Suffolk Songs, with mulled wine and mince pies | |
| Wed 17th January 2024 | World War II Coastal Defences in Suffolk. On Zoom (not face-to-face) | Dr John Greenacre |
| Wed 21st February 2024 | Suffolk’s Lost Heritage: A look at some of the buildings that have been lost over the years. | Stephen Poulter |
| Wed 20th March 2024 | Expert Edgesmith to Engineering Enterprise: The early days of the Leiston Garrett dynasty | Fraser Hale |
| Wed 17th April 2024 | The Hidden History of Orfordness, 1914-1993 | Clive Chambers |
Summer Visits 2024
We have arranged a number of visits during the Summer of 2024. Click the title of each visit in the list below for more information.
You need to book, and please download this form, and follow the instructions in it, including how to pay.
Booking will be restricted to members until June (so if you’re not a member, why not join now).
| Date | Visit | Organiser and contact |
|---|---|---|
| Wed 19th June, 11am – 1pm | Melford Hall Gardens Long Melford, with tour by Edward Martin | Alison Pickup |
| Wed 10th July, 2.30pm | The Red House, Aldeburgh, former home of Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears | David Ransom |
| Tues 13th Aug, 11am | Long Shop Museum, Leiston | Annie Heining |
Programme of talks 2022-3
Meetings are held in the United Free Church, Riverside, Framlingham and start at 7.30pm unless otherwise indicated.
| Wed 19th October 2022 | Annual General Meeting | |
| What we discovered at the Ancient House (follows the AGM) | Clare and Michael Gaylard | |
| Wed 16th November 2022 | Off to the Outback: A Suffolk family emigrating to Australia in the 1840s (based on diary entries) | Peter Driver |
| Wed 14th December 2022 | The Medieval Farming Year in Pictures | Alison Bowman |
| Wed 18th January 2023 |
The History of The Meres | Ray Hardinge |
| Wed 15th February 2023 (change to the previously published talk) |
The Worlingworth Jubilee Feast Painting of 1810 | Geoffrey Robinson |
|
Wed 15th March 2023 |
The Lost City of Dunwich | Mark Mitchels |
| Wed 19th April 2023 | The Land Army Girls | Nicky Reynolds |
2021-22
| Wed 20th October 2021 | Robert Hawes, background to his 1712 book: “The History or Memoiurs of Framlingham and the Lowes Hundred” | Tony Martin |
| Wed 17th November 2021 | Voices from the Workhouse | Janette Robinson |
| Wed 15th December 2021 | East Anglian Art, from the Norwich School onwards | John Day |
| Wed 19th January 2022 |
John Self’s Framlingham, A Photo Tour, 1884 – 1927 | John Bridges |
| Wed 16th February 2022 |
Charlie and The Dig | Charlie Haylock (Ralph Fiennes’ dialect coach for the film The Dig) |
|
Wed 23rd March 2022 |
The Magical Protection of Buildings (16-20th C) with examples from Framlingham area | Timothy Easton |
| Wed 20th April 2022 | An Introduction to the Paston Letters | Charles Seely |
2020-21 (disrupted by COVID, started late)
| Wed 17th Feb 2021 at 11am (Zoom talk) | Clarkes of Framlingham (The family, the firm and the grain trade) | Tony Clarke – recording of the event here. |
| Wed 17th March 2021 at 11am (Zoom talk) | Re-evaluating Suffolk’s medieval markets | Dr James David |
| Wed 21st April 2021 at 11am (Zoom talk) | Lost Gardens of Suffolk | Edward Martin |
| Tues 18th May 2021 at 11am (Zoom talk) | Early buildings in Suffolk, especially Debenham | Timothy Easton |
| Tues 15th June at 2pm (Zoom talk) | Keeping the peace in medieval Suffolk | Dr Nick Amor |
| Tues 20th July at 11am (Zoom talk) | The Roman Roads of East Anglia | Dr James Albone |
2019-20 Programme of Talks
| Wed 16th October 2019 | AGM Followed by: Thomas & John Clarkson, The Friends of Slaves | Dr Bob Merrett |
| Wed 20th November 2019 | Flora Sandes | Janette Robinson |
| Wed 11th December 2019 | Suffolk Maps and their Makers | Vivienne Aldous |
| Wed 15th January 2020 | The history of the East Anglian Daily Times | Brad Jones |
| Wed 19th February 2020 | Archaeological Finds at Rendlesham | Sir Michael Bunbury Bt |
| Wed 18th March 2020 | Clarkes of Framlingham | Tony Clarke |
| Wed 15th April 2020 | Roman Roads of East Anglia | James Albone |