Past Events
2026
Tuesday June 23 Dr Gillian White – ‘Bess of Hardwick and Hardwick Hall’.
Gillian gave an engaging and fascinating insight into the life of Elizabeth Hardwick revealing her rise to the highest level of English nobility.
Tuesday May 26 Anthony Poulton-Smith – ‘History of Toilets’.
Pop to the loo, go, flush, wash. Nothing could be simpler in the modern world. But it wasn’t always like that. Tony surprised, informed and entertained us with his illustrated presentation.
Tuesday April 28 Marguerite Collins – ‘Madresfield Court, the true Brideshead’.
It is often quoted as the real-life inspiration for Evelyn Waugh’s Brideshead Castle. Margaret gave us the answers.
Tuesday March 24th Our Vice Chairman, Peter Jennings - ‘Saving the Fizz’.
Peter overcame a series of technical issues to successfully present the amazing story of the Lemonade Bottle, its origins, evolution and contribution to language and modern culture. Peter also supplied a fascinating display of historic old and unusual bottles.
Tuesday February 24th Max Hunt – ‘History of Shelsley Walsh, including The Hill Climb’.
Max first traced the history of one of Worcestershire’s smallest parishes from its Saxon beginnings, through thousands of years of quiet obscurity. The second half of the talk covered the story of its international fame as the home of the Shelsley Hill Climb.
Tuesday January 20th Jon Hindley – ‘Highwaymen and Wicked Ladies’.
There has always been a ‘romantic rogue’ element about highwaymen but in reality, they could be desperate thieves. There were also ‘wicked ladies’ who were equally ruthless. Travel in the 17thC and 18thC was a risky business. John gave a well recieved and enteraining insite into the reality.
2025
Tuesday December 9th Paul Harding of Discover History - ‘Cromwell’s Cancelled Christmas’.
Paul gave an account of the reality of Christmas customs under the Puritans. His informative talk was illustrated with a fascinating selection of objects and images from the period.
Tuesday November 25th Mike Webster and David Andrews - ‘Wolverley in World War II’.
Mike and David presented an illustrated talk about the village in war time including the American Hospital, the Rover Works and evacuees, leading up to the VE celebrations 80 years ago.
Tuesday October 28th Mike Loftus - ‘Honest George Holloway’. He was a carpet weaver, a publican, briefly a carpet manufacturer & then an auctioneer. Finally he was the leader of the town’s Chartist Movement. Mike presented a fascinating glimpse into the life of 'Honest' George Holloway.
Tuesday September 23rd Nina O’Hare of the Worcestershire Archive and Archaeology Service - ‘Small Pits, Big Ideas’. Nina presented an interesting and informative review of the archaeological trial from around Worcestershire. Trial pits in gardens brought locals directly in touch with their past. Particular local interest was raised by the digs in Wolverley and Bewdley.
Tuesday July 22nd Robert Hodge - ‘The Workhouse of Cleobury Mortimer’. Robert revealed interesting and unexpected details about the life in the Cleobury Workhouse, which could accommodate 150 inmates and was in an isolated situation about half a mile from town. Life in poverty in Shropshire in the 19th century. A short AGM will preceded the talk.
Tuesday June 24th Our Secretary David Simons gave a glimpse into the workings of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings.
Tuesday May 27th Howard Robinson - ‘A Monk’s Life-the Benedictines in Worcester Cathedral’. Howard delivered an informative and interesting insight into, not only the history of the Cathedral, but also the day-to-day lives of the community of Benedictine monks.
Tuesday April 22nd Mary Bodfish - ‘Easy as ABC’. Mary gave a fascinating glimpse into the history of handwriting. Revealing the development from the earliest known hieroglyphs through five and a half thousand years of the alphabet and English handwriting to the impact of today’s technology.
Tuesday March 25th Dr Gillian White - ‘Katherine of Aragon’. Gillian took us through the tumultuous times of the first wife of Henry VIII, and gave a fascinating insight to this under appreciated Queen.
Tuesday February 25th Dave Laverty - ‘Life in the carpet factories of Kidderminster’. The subject close to the heart of many members was presented in perhaps the best place – The Museum of Carpet. The talk was not only interesting and informative but presented with Dave's infectious enthusiam. As one visitor stated "Excellent talk by Dave Laverty about working in the Carpet industry at WFHRG this afternoon. He approached it as a person that didn't know much about carpets which was refreshing."
Tuesday January 28th Max Keen - ‘Edward I, Hammer of the Scots’. Max Keen gave his usual lively presentation about King Edward I. He certainly left a few grand castles behind. It was so lively I think he left everyone to come to their own conclusions about his character!
2024
Tuesday December 10th ‘Members’ Christmas Special’. At Offmore Church, Members entertained with Christmas recollections and The Grace Notes entertained us. Audience participation was encouraged. enthusiastically taken up and an enjoyable afternoon was had by all.
Tuesday November 26th Douglas Smith - ‘Cheer Boys, It’s Hartlebury’. WWI hospitals were established in Hartlebury and in the Palace. Douglas brought alive the stories of the 435 soldiers and the nurses who cared for them, using the autograph books, which are now in the Hive Library.
Tuesday October 22nd Phil Downing - ‘Harvington Hall, the House of Secrets’. We may know the Hall as a stunning Elizabethan manor house, but its origins go back much further. The Hall Manager revealed a fascinating insight into the story of this unique building.
Tuesday September 24th Quintin Watt - ‘Let my Quick Fate a Warning Be’. Quintin provided a detailed and interesting insite into historic major transport accidents that involved the region’s stagecoaches, canals, railways and trams between the 1820s & 1920s.
Tuesday July 23rd Richard Churchley - ‘A Century of popular songs: 1860s to 1960s’. At our annual General Meeting Richard sang a variety of songs and we were all encouraged to join in. A very enjoyable time was spent singing the songs and reminiscing about hearing them on the radio and them being sung by our parents and grandparents and singing them at the Saturday morning cinema.
Tuesday June 25th Mary Bodfish - ‘Probate Inventories’. Mary had done a great deal of research to find a Will to illustrate what can be learned from the details found in Probate Inventories. She gave a fascinating ‘time-machine’ tour of a late C17th yeoman farmer’s house to discover the details of how they cooked, dined, slept, cleaned, and clothed themselves.
Tuesday May 28th Howard Robinson - ‘The Monarch’s Way’. Howard combined a fascinating animated screen presentation with an engaging narrative. This gave an interesting insight into the 625 mile-long footpath which Charles II used after his defeat at Worcester, in the final battle of the Civil Wars. Some of the places he hid in were only feet away from those searching for him!
Tuesday April 23rd Marguerite Collins - 'Worcester's Hidden History'. Marguerite is a member of The Worcester Walks Green Badge Guides, working along with Sandy Cale. Together they give both guided walks and talks on and around Worcester. We are grateful to her for stepping to help us at such short notice and we hope this will be given our usual level of support.
Tuesday March 26th Rob Broadbent - ‘Bletchley Park – the other part of the story’. Rob presented a fascinating insight into the Bletchley Park story with an interesting addition to the commonly-held story of the World War II codebreakers, led by Alan Turing. Two men enabled Britain to break a code produced by a top-secret super coding machine employed by the Nazis to direct the course of the war. This was not Enigma; it was far more secret and significant.
Tuesday February 27th Heather Flack - ‘Bewdley’s Ancient Trackways’. Our local author and Group member asked, “Where were the original paths forged by animals and humans though our wild and wooded landscape?”
Tuesday January 23rd Max Keen as ‘Sir William Marshall’. Max made his annual visit and presented a stirring talk detailing the life and achievments of Sir William Marshall the soldier and statesman who served no less than 5 English Kings in the C12th and C13th from Henry II.
2023
Tuesday December 5th Christmas Social with the Grace Notes.
A festive celebration for Members took place at Offmore Community Church. The Grace Notes again entertained us well with audience participation included. Several members read stories or poems. The monies raised from the Mystery History Draw were donated to Harvington Hall. Festive food rounded up the afternoon.
Tuesday November 28th Zoe Willems 'Demolition and Rescue – The Story of Avoncroft Museum’.
In an illustrated talk, manager Zoe Willems told the story of how the museum came about & its future goals.
Tuesday October 24th Douglas Smith ‘Hubble Bubble: Witchcraft in Worcestershire’
Douglas Smith gave a very interesting illustrated talk enlightening a good audience on the history of witchcraft in its many forms. He was accompanied by his 3 suitably attired granddaughters!
Tuesday September 26th Will Scott - ‘Do Not Talk to the Civic Society’.
Will Scott gave an interesting & amusing talk about his working life as pig-in-the-middle between various Town Councils & Civic Societies regarding planning & preservation of town buildings. He also mentioned his involvement with the Walled Garden, Fort Royal Hill, Worcester, (open for the National Garden Scheme) & brought honey & quince jelly to purchase.
Tuesday July 15th. A last minute change of topic saw David Rushforth give his interesting talk about his time serving on the Royal Yacht Britannia.
Tuesday June 27th. Tim Bridges “Victorian & Edwardian Buildings in Birmingham”.
Tim Bridges, a Conservation Adviser for the Birmingham and West Midlands Victorian Society, explored the architectural heritage of industry, civic life, housing and places of worship in the city.
Tuesday May 23rd. Richard Churchley “Humble Homes”. Richard Churchley gave a very interesting illustrated talk on the varied styles of ordinary housing in the local area.
Tuesday April 25th. Max Keen “Hereward the Wake”. Max Keen was his usual lively self as he talked us through the various aspects of the life of Hereward the Wake at Kidderminster Cricket Club.
Tuesday March 28th. Sue Pope “An Illustrated History of Music”. Sue gave a very interesting talk about the history of music Illustrating it with historical pictures & actual performances on period instruments, including audience participation.
Tuesday February 28th. Martin Wall “The Lady of the Mercians” gave an interesting talk about how King Alfred’s daughter Aethelflaed came to be their leader.
Tuesday January 24th. Rob Broadbent “Countess of Computing”. Rob Broadbent gave a very interesting & well researched talk on Lady Ada Lovelace and her early computer - The Analytical Engine.
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