The Winter Talks are held from October to April at The Crossing , Newcastle Street, Worksop, S80 2AT

In the Summer Months the Association organise a visit each month from May to September.

Meetings are open to non-members.

Winter Talks 23 / 24

2023

Wednesday 18th October        Food and Drink in Tudor and Stuart Nottinghamshire by Mark Dawson

An investigation of what foods were being eaten in households in Nottinghamshire c.1540-1700, how these foods would have been prepared and how and where they were consumed."

Wednesday 15th November    A Forgotten Antarctic Explorer – Tom Crean by Barbara Beard

Scott and Shackleton are well known Antarctic Explorers, but without those who accompanied them, they would not have been able to achieve what they did. The talk will follow the career of a much less known explorer, Tom Crean, who, from a humble beginning in County Derry, Ireland, played an integral role in 3expeditions during the golden age of Antarctic exploration

Wednesday 13th December    Beyond the Blue Horizon by Mike Ogden (second Wednesday)

A fascinating and entertaining talk that takes you through the years, from the 1920s to the 1950s, when air travel was furiously expensive, and strictly for the wealthy, the famous and the fashionable; the years when it had a glamour and an allure that can scarcely be imagined nowadays.

2024

Wednesday 17th January         Medieval Pilgrimage by Tony Perkins

Pilgrimage was not possible for everyone and for those who did go it was often a once in a life time event. I speak on the who? What sort of people would go on pilgrimage? The where? What destinations were open to a medieval pilgrim? The why? What prompted people to make often quite hazardous journeys? The how? What methods would be used to reach their Holy destination?

I explain the different types of pilgrim badges that were available as souvenirs  and describe why they visited various shrines to ask for help of the saints and their relics.

As today, some fell foul of the unscrupulous and I show some of the fake relics that would be available.

This talk is intended to help you understand a medieval person's reasons for making these journeys and to see life through their eyes.

Wednesday 21st February       Collective Behaviour (Wildlife photography) by Kathryn Cooper

Kathryn Cooper is a Sheffield based photographer and scientist interested in capturing the beauty of complex natural systems. For her, it’s the perfect opportunity to combine a love for the outdoors with an academic background in physics and network science. Illustrated with her award winning photographs of murmurations, Kathryn’s lecture will take you on a journey into the science behind flock behaviour, and answer the question: what is the link between starlings and the Nobel Prize?

Wednesday 20th March           Every day life in Japan by Patsy Rayner

This illustrated talk covers work & employment, education, housing (including the mysteries of the Japanese toilet!), family life and the role of women, entertainment and relaxation

Wednesday 17th April              AGM (7:20pm) & Framework Knitters Museum and the history of framework knitting by Julian Ellis

Talk will cover the invention of the knitting frame in 1587, its development mechanically and commercially into a major industry, and the reasons behind the development of the Luddite disturbances.

Summer Visits 24

Wednesday  08/05/24           Quarry Bank (National Trust)

Wednesday  19/06/24           Wimpole (National Trust)  (corrected date)

Wednesday  24/07/24            Belvoir Castle

Tuesday        13/08/24             Yorkshire Air Museum and Breezy Knees Garden  

Thursday       12/09/24            Shugborough Estate (National Trust)

Money raised goes to National Trust Projects