Our programme for the new season is now here!. You can read the programme here and you can download and print a copy of the programme too; just scroll to the bottom of this page.
The start time as usual is 7.15pm prompt for all talks. Please note the standard seating plan will not be used for the Free Taster Talk and Bonus Talk on 11 August and 22 September respectively, but you will have allocated seating for all other talks.
We hope many of you will subscribe to this excellent value series of talks, but for visitors and others unable to commit to them all, you are welcome to attend talks as a one-off at a price of £10.00. And please bring a friend!
Free Taster Session: Tuesday 11 August 2026 – Dr Richard Hinchcliffe: The Life and Times of the Beach Boys. The Beach Boys were the only American band to rival the Beatles in the 60s. This is the story of their beginnings and psychedelic rites of passage, and the story of how pop music lost its innocenceThis is also a chance to pop along and enjoy light refreshments and a short talk to promote our society. You can sign up and buy your season tickets today too.
Bonus Talk: Tuesday 22 September 2026 – Prof. Paul Salveson – The Community Rail Story: A Very British Revolution In association with Kents Bank Railway Library The idea of Community Rail emerged in the 1990s when rural railways faced uncertainty. ‘Community rail partnerships’ were innovative yet practical ways of making local railways relevant. Paul explores how it began, the results and its future
Tuesday 13 October 2026 – Kate Orvis – Genomics Genomics is the study of our genes and DNA. It is transforming medicine, from how diseases are diagnosed to how treatments are chosen. During COVID, we became familiar with genomics without realising it. Kate explores genomics in practice, and why ensuring its benefits are shared fairly matters to us all.
Tuesday 27 October 2026 – Peter Jones – Skiddaw Forest – Restoring the nature of a mountain. Discover the Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s Skiddaw Forest Project on England’s highest nature reserve – a hundred-year vision, recreating missing woodlands and restoring upland peat bogs, to put nature back on the map in this iconic landscape.
Tuesday 10 November 2026 – Norman Harris – USA Coast to Coast to Coast by Harley-Davidson After attending Harley-Davidson’s 100th fantastic anniversary celebration with his friends and thousands of other riders Norman took a solo trip across the USA seeing parts of the USA that most people will never see!
Tuesday 24 November 2026 – Jenny Fenwick – From Loft to Oz: Adventures of a Mary Quant Dress It’s the Swinging 60s brought to life! Jenny describes the journey that her 1964 Mary Quant dress embarked upon after being found in her loft. From the 2019 London V&A Mary Quant Exhibition to touring venues around the world and appearing in a BBC Documentary.
Tuesday 08 December 2026 – Janet Hargreaves – Bugs, Babies & Bed Baths: Home Nursing in Westmorland before the NHS Before 1948, home nursing was funded through a patchwork of philanthropy and subscription. Creating services in remote communities was challenging and each nurse required great skill and ingenuity. This talk will use county-wide archives and a study of one village nurse, Mary Kerr, to illustrate Westmorland’s remarkable achievement.
Tuesday 19 January 2027 – Mark Hill – Regency Revelations: The Private Journal of a Regency Dandy Discovered on eBay, the lost 1831–1833 journals of John Margesson reveal the private life of a ‘spiteful’ Regency gentleman. We piece together his mysterious exile, sexuality, and daily musings. Using his own words and period illustrations, we explore the scandals and finances of a wealthy, opinionated man of means.
Tuesday 2 February 2027 – John Sexton – Racing Round the World Award-winning horse racing journalist reflects on a career which took him from Haydock Park to every racecourse in Britain, to Ireland, France and Belgium, across the USA, to Japan, Hong Kong and Melbourne before he became the voice of Cartmel Races.
Tuesday 16 February 2027 – Stan Abbott – Tradition, innovation… and geopolitics: life and times in the Faroe Islands. Stan Abbott is a journalist, writing for The New World and other publications. He is the author of narrative travel books, including Faroese Days, a personal account of more than 20 years visiting the remote Faroe Islands, which are a North Atlantic Danish protectorate.
Tuesday 2 March 2027 – Colin Speakman – John Phillips: Yorkshire’s Traveller Through Time York based John Phillips pioneered the geology of the Dales & Yorkshire coast, was a keen walker, astronomer, palaeontologist of world importance, founder of the Yorkshire Museum and the British Association for the Advancement of Science, teacher and travel writer (producing the first railway guide book).
Tuesday 16 March 2027 – Joanne Aston – The Mitford Men We know of the Mitford sisters. Their mother once sighed “Whenever I see a headline beginning ‘Peer’s Daughter’ I just know one of you children has been in trouble.” The various men in their lives were equally interesting. Will the talk be scurrilous? Absolutely!
If you would like a paper copy, you can download and print the programme by clicking on the download button below. You can also use this form for your membership application.