North Notts Association of National Trust Members

Talks and Visits

See our latest News on talks and visits, etc

For more information click the Enquiry link at the foot of the page

Please download our Programme of Talks and Visits: North-Notts-Association-Events-2022-23

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TALKS for 2022/23

.. ..start ..Start 7:30pm at The Crossing, Newcastle Street, Worksop, S80 2AT

19/10/22.. .. .. .. .. ..Elizabethan Life; A visitor from the 16th C – Maureen Taylor

Discover what life was like in the 16th century from ‘Lady Mary Palmer’, a contemporary of Elizabeth I, Robert Dudley, William Cecil, George Talbot and Bess of Hardwick. Learn about her life, her husband, children, child-birth, food, her home and much more. Lady Mary wears appropriate clothing for the 16th century.

Some things are vastly different to 21st century society and life, but there are a few things that never change!

You are told about the lives of the lord and lady and their family, the way they lived their lives, about their home and how it was run, the servants, feast days and festivals, sport and the minutiae of everyday life.

16/11/22.. .. .. .. .. ..The Gretna Girls & the Devil's Porridge – David Skillen

Everyone has heard of Gretna Green yet few people have heard of HM Factory Gretna. In 1915 a huge and top-secret factory was constructed to provide ammunition for the war effort. It was designed and built in a matter of months and staffed by women and girls from all over the UK and beyond. Two new towns, Gretna and Eastriggs, were built to accommodate the workers. This amazing achievement was vital in helping the British Army to final victory in World War One. In this fully illustrated talk we will look closely at the fascinating story of the people who lived and worked at Gretna making the very dangerous "Devils Porridge”

14/12/22.. .. .. .. .. . Adrian Gray on East Cost Mainline Disasters - last minute Change of Speaker (Second Wednesday)

Adrian Gray is an expert railway historian and the author of the book 'East Coast Main Line Disasters. Adrian presents an illustrated and entertaining talk looks at the history of the railway between King's Cross and Edinburgh with a focus on how safety has been improved following accidents over the years. The talk covers the full geographical range and describes a mix of accidents from the 1850s to the early 2000s.

18/01/23.. .. .. .. .. .Beavers at Idle Valley – Janice Bradley MBE

We are honoured to have a very special talk by Janice Bradley MBE of the Nottinghamshire Wildlife Trust, who was responsible for the re-introduction of Beavers at the Idle Valley Nature Reserve near Retford, about:

Why bring back beavers to Notts?

- the Notts Species Recovery Framework priorities, and brief historical context

Why beavers in the Idle Valley Nature Reserve ? - the endless march of scrub and the missing herbivores in wetland landscapes

How we brought back beavers and what they are doing now to benefit the Reserve.

15/02/23... .. .. .. .. .A History of the Derwent Dams – Andrew Beard

The dams have become a major tourist attraction over the years, but the original plans were very different. The talk will explain why the changes were made, quarrying the stone, building a private railway and the dams themselves. A temporary village had to be constructed, but two others destroyed and their inhabitants rehoused. It concludes with a brief summary of the search for yet more water, what has happened to the dams since they were built, and of course a mention of the Dam Busters Squadron.”

15/03/23.. .. .. .. .. .A Brief History of Pantomime – Dr Ann Featherstone

This talk explores the very earliest pantomime performances in the 17th and 18th centuries, the glory days of the 19th century, and examples from more modern times, taking in spectacular scenery, celebrities and pantomime dames on the way.

19/04/23... .. .. .. .. .AGM and The Mary Rose - One moment in time - Kathy Powis

The story of Henry VIII's flagship from her construction in 1510, active service fighting the French, the sinking in 1545, the dramatic raising from the Solent in 1982.... to the present day. In Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. The Mary Rose is housed in a state-of-the-art museum surrounded by 19,000 artefacts – the world's best depiction of Tudor life.

Kathy is a Patron of the Mary Rose Trust and speaker for the East Midlands. In 2018 she abseiled down the Spinnaker Tower in Portsmouth to raise funds for the Mary Rose Trust.

VISIT 2023

Tuesday 23 May.. .. .. .. .. . .. .. . .Doddington Hall & Garden & Lincolnshire Road Transport Museum