We are delighted to bring you our 2024/2025 season programme. You can read it here and it will be launched in the August edition of Grange Now. 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 20 August and 24 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 20 August 2024 – Malcom Kimber – The Peak District Boundary Walk Your chance to meet the committee, other members, enjoy light refreshments and enjoy a short talk to get you in the mood. Come along for a chat, a glass of wine, and a short, entertaining talk. You can sign up and buy your season tickets today too.
Bonus Talk: Tuesday 24 September 2024 – Jack Ellerby – Saving our Night Skies We are pleased to announce an extra Lecture on the benefits and joys of dark skies. This lecture is in association with Peninsula Environmental Action Together (PEAT) who are sponsoring the talk.
Tuesday 15 October 2024 – Andrew Leitch and Jim Bowness – Cumbrian Film Archive A completely new show from the county’s own archive of newsreels and TV news film. The talk will feature different films from those seen in 2023 when Andrew Leitch and Jim Bowness last regaled us with scenes from the dim and not so distant past.
Tuesday 29 October 2024 – Neil Hanson – Inn and Out at the Top Neil is a successful author of 70 published books and an award-winning speaker. His talk is a laugh-a-minute tour of his time running Britain’s highest inn back in the 70s and 80s, complete with eccentric characters, curious customs, naturists, police raids, rats in the attic and the shooting of a famous double-glazing commercial.
Tuesday 12 November 2024 – Sue Jeeves – The Life and Work of Stanley Jeeves Conservationist, photographer, and philosopher, Jeeves was photographer for the 1954 Daily Mail expedition to Nepal – the search for the Abominable Snowman! As warden of Brantwood, Coniston, he developed talks with dissolving images and music. We will travel to South America, the Middle East, Lancashire, Cumbria and Scotland.
Tuesday 26 November 2024 – Hugh Ellwood – Birth of the Celtic Tiger The Celtic tribes of Ireland were never part of the Roman Empire and maintained their own traditions, which were adapted and reformed with the arrival of Christianity. The ancient art of the Celtic world became inseparable from Christian belief and the Irish monastic system was the basis of economic, cultural and artistic development.
Tuesday 10 December 2024 – Laura Massey-Pugh and Steven Massey – SteLa Tandem: A record-breaking tandem bicycle ride around the World! On 5th June 2022 Stevie and Laura set off from Berlin. 180 days later, after battling monsoons, border closures and motorcycle collisions they returned in a blizzard: but with a new world record. They will talk about what it took to implement a record-breaking ride on a bicycle made for two.
Tuesday 21 January 2025 – Paul Cook – Gardening in a Changing Climate Gardens have been a lifelong interest for Paul, who will talk about his work at the renowned Harlow Carr. Awarded an Alpine Garden Scholarship at Kew and having made many garden visits to Europe and around the UK, Paul is now planning how to adapt Harlow Carr to climate change.
Tuesday 4 February 2025 – Stuart Atkinson – a Tourist’s Guide to the Universe A breathtaking tour of the cosmos, from the Victoria Hall to the very edge of the known universe. Along the way we’ll take on the sights of our own solar system before leaving our home far behind and seeing some of the amazing and beautiful stars, planets and galaxies ‘Out There’. And we’ll ask the ultimate question: Are we alone?
Tuesday 18 February 2025 – Richard Leafe – Leading the Lakes After 17 years as Chief Executive of the Lake District National Park, Richard gives personal reflections on the trials and tribulations of leadership. Steering the team through World Heritage Status, lockdown, controversial planning and cutbacks. Achieving a thriving economy in a living, but protected landscape means never a dull moment.
Tuesday 4 March 2025 – Ann Marie Michel – The Art of War: How WW1 Changed Art and Artists This richly-illustrated talk examines how WW1 affected art and artists, exploring key ideas, important figures and influential art movements to show both the immediate impact and long-lasting consequences of the conflict. It offers a new angle on a well-known historical topic and a lively overview of an important period.
Tuesday 18 March 2025 – Sandra Gold-Wood – The Canary Girls Story and the Gretna Munition Factory The National Memorial Arboretum commemorates those who gave their lives during the many conflicts around the globe. But nowhere is there a memorial for the female munitions workers whose sacrifice was no less than many other wartime workers. Many of them paid the ultimate price.
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.