India: A History in Objects

Presented by Richard Blurton

12th November 2026

Richard will survey the cultural history of the subcontinent using the collection of the British Museum, covering the period from c1.5 million years ago, up to the present day. Using examples from the collection, Richard will cover sculpture, textiles, paintings and metalwork from prehistoric hand axes up to the work of living artists.

A Lifetime in TV News

Presented by John Suchet

10th December 2026

John will talk about his career in television news, including the refugee crisis in Bangladesh, the Iran revolution, Soviet occupation of Afghanistan, and the Philippines revolution. Interviewing Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan, and other world leaders. He explores how we got from film cameras in the 70s, to communication satellites and cameras in our pockets.

Patagonia: History, Wildlife and Landscapes

Presented by Ian Gaspar

14th January 2027

Ian looks at the history of the area from Magellan, including local tribes and early settlers. Plenty of birds and some wildlife will be included as well as the stunning landscape of mountains and glaciers.

What Has Marine Life Ever Done for Us?

Presented b y John Spicer

11th February 2027

If we ask ourselves this question, we find ourselves talking fishing, eating shellfish or relaxation from a holiday or living beside the sea. But is that ‘all there is’? John will explore how marine life gives us life, how it can heal us, considers what it’s worth in economic terms, and if we could put a monetary value on it could we afford to pay for its upkeep. However, it also has a value much deeper, harder to quantify, more difficult to express and one we rarely think about.

James Webb Space Telescope - The Mirrored Marvel

Presented by Jo Richardson 

11th March 2027

This talk features the amazing James Webb Space Telescope which is taking the astronomical world by storm. Jo will delve into how it was engineered, delivered to space 1 million miles from earth, how it works and what secrets of the universe it is likely to unlock to help us to understand the universe in which we live.

The Healing Garden

Presented by Sue Minter

8th April 2027

Why are plants useful in human healing?  What are the main species which have been (or are still) vital in pharmaceutical medicine and how are the drugs produced; what are the difference between pharmaceutical and herbal medicine; and what are the issues for conservation and the role of fair trade.

What is Rock Art?

Presented by Dr Iain Watt

13th May 2027

Creating rock art, both in dark, difficult to reach caves and on open rock faces, seems to be a uniquely human expression. Humans have been creating such images for at least 100,000 years of our existence as a species. Iain explores the what, the where, and the how of this amazing expression of our intellect and how might it be related to language, beliefs and what binds it together.

A Solo Walk Across Africa

Presented by Fran Sandham

10th June 2027

Fran took on a challenge of a lifetime, walking across Africa from Namibia’s skeleton coast to the Indian ocean near Zanzibar completely alone. No backup, no support team, no film crew, and no strings attached. Just a one-way ticket.

July 8th

Book Collecting for Everyone - from Tolkein to Rowling

Presented by Alec Smith

Curating a book collection for adults and children. A guide to investing in sensibly priced treasure.

Summer Break - No talk in August

Africa’s Overlooked Heroes

Presented by Astrid Madimba &
Chinny Ukata Ogunlusi

8th October 2026

Join Astrid and Chinny, authors of ‘It’s a Continent’ book and podcast series, as they spotlight overlooked African figures. They will share the stories of remarkable individuals whose vision and achievements shaped the continent, exploring their impact, challenges and the legacies that continue to inspire.

The Women Who Went Around the World

Presented by Sally Smith

10th September 2026

The story of the women who were the very first to achieve a full circumnavigation by sea, land, and finally, air. Starting with the incredible story of Jeanne Baret who faced real drama when, dressed as a man, discovered the Bougainvillea plant in Brazil in1767. Sally gives a fascinating glimpse into these journeys and an insight into society at different times in history with a range of astonishing tales.

Wild Life Photography: In Pursuit of the Improbable

Presented by Stephen Powles

9^th July 2026

In a medley of interesting, amusing, and informative wildlife stories, wildlife photographer Steven describes how he managed to photograph and film some challenging subjects and how an understanding of their natural history and behaviour enabled him to do so. Amongst others, kingfishers, herons, otters, lizards and hedgehogs will be featured.

Putin, Trump and the Ukraine

Presented by John Dobson

11^th June 2026

What were Putin's real reasons for invading the Ukraine, an independent sovereign state? What has been the impact on Russian's economy? What is the relationship between Trump and Putin? What are the scenarios for the end of the war? Find out answers to these and many other questions on the conflict from John who spent 3 years as a Royal Naval attaché in Moscow.

John Dobson gave us a really interesting talk: here are some of the articles he showed on screen if you are interested.

Why Putin hated Ukraine so much that he invaded it

Russia's economy is booming so why is it in trouble

Will Putin and Trumps Ukraine deal serve their own interests  

A full list of his written articles here

Superspy Science

Presented by Kathryn Harkup

14^th May 2026

Science and technology have always been central to the plots that make up the world of James Bond.

Kathryn explores 007’s exploits from the practicalities of building a volcano-based lair, to whether being covered with gold paint really will kill you. And if your plan is to take over the world whether it is better to use bacteria, bombs or poisons.

AI: The Technology That's Reshaping Our World

Presented by Richard Haycock

9^th April 2026

Two years ago AI had potential to become a General Purpose Technology. Since, there has been unprecedented investment, extraordinary advances in capability, and the emergence of AI 'teams' working together like humans. In just 24 months, artificial intelligence has moved from promising technology to an unstoppable force transforming everything from healthcare to home life.

Learn why global investors are pouring billions into building AI infrastructure, and what these extraordinary developments mean for our future.

I bet this never happened to you...

Presented by Alex Leger

12^th March 2026

Alex spent a record 36 years as a producer and director on Blue Peter and other BBC shows.

In this talk, Alex presents the rich pageant of life in the BBC including some of the wild and wonderful stories and adventures.

A room with 3 million flies, a hail of stones from an angry crowd in the Cameroon and overwhelming hospitality at the Mount Washington Cog Railway that nearly ruined the shoot were unexpected hazards. Filming with the warlike Kayapo Indians in the Amazon Rainforest, climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and celebrating 10 years after the Falklands conflict in remote island communities.

Persia Past and Present Iran

Presented by Peter Barker

12^th February 2026

Persian Empire existed as one of the most powerful and complex empires of the ancient world.

Peter presents ten topics and 'observations’ from the founding of the ancient Persian empire by Cyrus the Great, Zoroastrians and Armenians, poetry and gardens, amazing mosques, the role of Shi’ism, government repression and the friendliness of many ordinary people of modern day Iran.

Reminiscences of a Fast Lady

Presented by Dr Chris Coote

8^th January 2026

An account of 10 years working on the design, development and flight testing of Concorde, the fastest passenger plane ever. With personal memories of work as an acoustics engineer together with some facts and figures that not many are aware of the fast Lady.

Musical Satire of the 20th century

Presented by Peter Gill

11^th December 2025

Peter explores the evolution of the comedy song in the 20th century from songs in the trenches of the first world war to the genius of Cole Porter, Noel Coward and Tom Lehrer and on to the hilarity of Monty Python, Billy Connolly and Victoria Wood. The skill of satirical lyricists will be identified and a choice selection of the songs performed.

The Medical aspects of flying in the RAF

Presented by Dr. Aroop Mozumder

13^th November 2025

Aviation produces a hostile environment for aircrew. Supporting
them is the core purpose of Military aviation medicine. This talk will
describe the effects of G-forces, lack of oxygen, spatial disorientation and others and how to combat these, as well as medical aspects of carrying injured casualties of war by air.

Dr Mozumder recently retired as a medical officer in the RAF, where he became Director General of the RAF Medical Services in the rank of Air Vice-Marshal.

Vivaldi – A Man for Four Seasons

Presented by Professor Peter Edwards

9^th October 2025

Vivaldi had a fascinating personal life as well as producing a large body of work which is current even by today’s standards. A richly illustrated talk featuring photographs and videos of Venice to showcase the places where Vivaldi lived and created bringing his story and music vividly to life.

The race to discover the Northwest Passage and the North Pole

Presented by John Davidson

11^th September 2025

In the 19th century there was a race to discover the Northwest Passage through the Canadian Arctic and expeditions were mounted to reach the North Pole. Polar conditions were very challenging and the Artic was one of the last great unknowns. We look at who went on these voyages of discovery, why they went, what happened to the expeditions and what they finally discovered.

The Suffragette story in the Southwest

Presented by Pamela Vass

10^th July 2025 

On August 4th, 1914, a car was spotted speeding away from a Devon mansion late at night. Moments later the alarm was raised as flames lit up the sky. The papers were full of speculation that suffragettes were to blame. Truth or Fiction? This one question opened the door to the fascinating story of the fight for the vote in the southwest - not a tale of the sleepy rural backwater but of women prepared to protest at political meetings, recruit in the streets, join mass rallies in London and suffer forced feeding in Holloway. All this and the biggest sleepover the region has ever known.

Annual General Meeting
followed by 'Convicts and Settlers: The Characters who built Australia'

presented by Lynne Carroll

12^th June 2025

An enlightening talk covering the fascinating experiences of early settlers and convicts travelling to, and arriving in Australia during the 18th and 19th centuries.

Science of Spices: how to use spices to revolutionise your cooking

Presented by Dr Stuart Farrimond

8^th May 2025

Stuart is a doctor, author and popular broadcaster and is the go-to food scientist for BBC and commercial radio stations.

He will explain the nature of spices, why they are so important for cooking, the science underpinning flavour and how to harness this in everyday cooking to create more flavourful dishes, equipping us with knowledge and skills.

Principles of Garden design

Presented by Jacquie Felix-Mitchell

10^th April 2025

This talk looks at the main principles of garden design and aims to give you some inspiration regarding your own outdoor space, be it a balcony, courtyard or something much larger.

Our Place in Space

Presented by Jo Richardson

13^th March 2025

Planet earth is our home in space; our very own space craft hurtling around the sun our nearest star. In this talk we check out our local neighbourhood by looking at the solar system. From the hellish world of Venus to the stormy conditions of Neptune we discover how the system operates, the size and distances involved, plus how it was formed some 4.6 billion years ago.

Who were the ancient Britons?

Presented by Dr lain Watt

13^th February 2025

The talk will introduce you to a small number of folks from our past who have fascinated our speaker and inform about the people of our Isles today.

Loaves and Fishes in Nepal

Presented by Lt Col (Retd) Philip Holmes OBE

6^th January 2025

After resigning from the army following the tragic death of his first wife, he set up a children's charity in her memory to work in Nepal. He began with tiny resources, but success began when he went to live in Nepal, where he rescued a thousand innocent children from imprisonment, off the streets and from modern day slavery. He closed two cross-border child trafficking routes.