Monday 8th September - The Polish Connection: From Poland to Blackshaw Moor

A talk by Barbara Grzegorzek

An extraordinary wartime account of survival and finally finding freedom and safety in Leek. Barbara will explore, "Our heritage that no one ever wanted to discuss and most wanted to forget".

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Monday 13th October - ‘William Morris – a  celebration to mark 150 years since he visited  Leek’

A talk by Nigel Rathmell

William Morris made a number of visits to Leek and the speaker will give an insight as to why he came our town.

An edition of ‘Chronicles’  a publication by the society about William Morris is to be reprinted.

 

Monday 10th November - ‘Time  remembered’ The history  of the Nicholson War Memorial

A talk by John White. 

The evening will have a display from the recent Centenary exhibition, photos of inside the Monument & the dedication film from our archives.

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Monday 1st December - Christmas dinner at the Foxlowe

 

Monday 19th January - Members evening

An opportunity for members to bring along items to be displayed for the evening with a chance to talk about the item or to share any research they have been working on. The work of Cath Walton will also be celebrated this evening.

 

Monday 9th February - ‘A potpourri of Gentlemen's Residences'

A talk by Neil Collingwood.

 

Monday 9th March - WW2 Women pilots of the Air Transport Auxiliary

A talk by Caroline Speirs.

Caroline will talk about the the 109 British women who came to be flying planes in WW2 and the Air Transport Auxiliary who employed them. A short film will feature the speaker’s mother, Rita Baines, who was one of the pilots.

 

Monday 13th April - AGM

Followed by a local film from the LDHS archive filmed and donated by the late Gerald Mee.

 

Monday 11th May - ‘James Brindley – the father of British canal engineering’

A talk by Shaun Farrelly

Until the middle of the 18th century, transport was a difficult and expensive undertaking. Most roads were made of earth and were impassable during the winter and heavy rain. There were some toll roads which were only marginally better. It was possible to transport goods by water but only on the navigable sections of the major rivers. Along came James Brindley who had the drive and the technical ability to undertake these vast civil engineering projects of canal construction which would make the industrial revolution possible. Without his incredible contribution, Britain would not have become such the dominant force that would emerge in the Victorian era.