All members are welcome to our Monthly Meetings. These are usually talks given by external speakers, normally on Monday afternoons at 2.00 pm in the Barley Room at the Maltings and lasting about an hour. However, please note that the November talk is on a Friday this year.
The room capacity is 100 and admittance is on a first-come, first-served basis.
| Date | Speaker | Title | Description |
| 29 Sep 2025 | Gill Picken | William Beckford | He of ‘Beckford’s Tower’ near Bath and Fonthill Abbey in Wiltshire which was built by James Wyatt. His immense wealth enabled him to indulge his passion for building and collecting paintings, china, statues and other objects d’art. An eccentric and reclusive man excluded from Georgian social life. |
| 27 Oct 2025 | Susan Morris & Alfred Bradley | Fanny Burney | Burney was a best-selling novelist greatly admired by Jane Austen. She witnessed the madness of King George III, and married a French general who had fled the French Revolution. From 1793 they lived in Surrey where at 41 Fanny produced their only child. At 59 she survived a mastectomy – without anesthetic. It was quite a life! |
| 28 Nov
FRIDAY |
Astrid Bowers-Veeman | Ethical Beekeeping | Astrid will explain how she and her husband farm bees and work with them in a natural way so that the bees are not stressed and live and work more as they would in the wild. She will talk about the ‘anatomy’ of a hive and bring samples of their honey and candles. |
| 8 Dec | Chris Gorman | Big Ladder Photographer | ‘The Big Ladder’™ is widely regarded as the UK’s leading drone photography and video specialist. Clients include: Waitrose, The National Lottery, and Universal Pictures. It also featured globally throughout the Covid 19 Pandemic for its groundbreaking images documenting the crisis from the unique perspective of a drone. Come and marvel at the Bigger Picture. |
| 26 Jan | Sir Stephen Lamport GVCO DL | Government, Monarchy and Church | Sir Stephen Lamport reflects on ‘Government, Monarchy and Church: Life in Public Service’, which covers his career as Diplomat in Tehran during the Iranian Revolution, his ten years as Private Secretary to the then Prince of Wales, and his role as Receiver General of Westminster Abbey. |
| 23 Feb | Susan Purcell | The Story behind the English Dictionary | This is a light-hearted and entertaining talk, during which she will introduce you to some of the great dictionary-makers of the past. These days we take dictionaries very much for granted, but the English dictionary is a relatively recent invention. We talk of THE dictionary as if there were only one, but there are thousands, and they change over time. |
| 23 Mar | Gary Johnson | Juan Garcia | The Spanish Chicken Farmer who won the War for Britain by influencing Nazi strategy at the highest level after winning the trust of Churchill and Hitler. Saved thousands of Allied lives on D Day. Made enough money to fund the entire British Secret Service. A fascinating story not to be missed. |
| 27 Apr | Ian Porter | The Real Mr Selfridge & the History of Shopping | Mr Selfridge’s extraordinary real life. His invention of things we take for granted today when shopping. His many lady friends. His incredible lifestyle and high spending. His downfall. |
| 11 May | Martin Lloyd | Becoming a Famous Author | Discover the truth about writers, publishers and bookshops. In a step-by-step exposé you will learn what I had to do to get my first book published. Prepare to be shocked, entertained, amazed and amused. |
| 29 Jun 2026 | Paul Whittle | Steaming On – Britain’s Heritage Railways | Britain led the way in establishing Railways two hundred years ago. The talk features a wide selection of preserved lines and the willing volunteers who devote their time, skills and enthusiasm by recreating those days of train travel at a more leisurely pace and keeping them literally on track. |
Use the buttons below to see the 2025/26 events programme
Key Dates Theme Meetings Monthly Meetings Social Events Events Calendar