The Society’s lectures take place in the Lecture Room of Marriott’s Warehouse on the South Quay. Please respect the diners by moving through and upstairs as quickly and quietly as possible to cause the minimum of disruption.
There is a lift if needed to access the lecture room on the 2nd floor. Refreshments with waiter service will be available in the lounge area on the 1st floor.
Lecture Dates for the 2017/2018 Season
All meetings start at 7.30pm
2017
Friday 20th October AGM + Lecture
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Followed by an illustrated talk entitled:
A TALK ON WRITING, INCLUDING POETRY
Louis de Bernieres, author of Captain Corelli’s Mandolin
Wednesday 8th November
A LITTLE LIGHT FROM THE PAST: HOW TO DATE ARCHAEOLOGICAL SEDIMENTS
Dr Ann Wintle
Professor Emerita, Aberystwyth University and University of Cambridge
Friday 24th November
ALBERT MITCHELSON AND EDWARD MORLEY — THEIR EXPERIMENT AND WHAT FOLLOWED
Alan Clegg Ph.D Eng (Chem eng)
Retired Technical Director, Porvair PLC
Wednesday 13th December
RESTLESS CREATURES: HOW THE EVOLUTION OF MOVEMENT SHAPED THE LIVING WORLD
Dr Matt Wilkinson,
Evolutionary Biologist, University of Cambridge
2018
Friday 12th January
THE ORIGINAL PAINTING: MARCELLIN DESBOUTIN AND HIS CIRCLE
Amy Marquis, Research Assistant,
The Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge
Wednesday 31st January
‘FEATHERS AND VEILS’ — PRESENTATION AT THE COURT OF QUEEN VICTORIA
Ian Chipperfield, The Staymaker
Friday 16th February
THE FLORA OF KING’S LYNN
Robin Stevenson
Wednesday 7th March
WRITING HOLMES; BECOMING WATSON
Christopher James
Author of ‘Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Ruby Elephants’, and ‘The Jeweller of Florence’
Friday 23rd March
ZOLTAN KODALY, AND HIS MISSION TO BUILD A MUSICAL NATION IN HUNGARY
Celia Waterhouse BA LGSM CKME CPP
Friday 19th October AGM + Lecture
Lecture Dates for the 2016/2017 Season
All meetings start at 7.30pm
2016
Friday 21st October
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Followed by an illustrated talk entitled:
MEDIEVAL GRAFFITI: THE LOST VOICES OF ENGLAND’S CHURCHES
Matthew Champion
Wednesday 9th November
FABRIC OF THE NATION — THE CARE AND CONSERVATION OF TEXTILES WITHIN THE NATIONAL TRUST
Ksynia Marko ACR
National Trust Textile Conservation Adviser
Friday 25th November
THE CAPABILITY MEN: LANCELOT BROWN IN CONTEXT
Tom Williamson
Professor of Landscape History, University of East Anglia
Wednesday 14th December
INTERPRETING ELY CATHEDRAL
Dr Lynne Broughton
University of Cambridge
2017
Friday 13th January
THE ROSE: A PLANT WITH A PAST
Shelagh Ashe,
Lecturer in Gardening History & Gardening, Garden Advisor
Wednesday 1st February
THE WEST RUNTON MAMMOTH
Peter Stibbons
Publisher, Poppyland Publishing, Cromer
Friday 17th February
WHALES, MOUNTAINS AND METEOR TRAILS – A YEAR ON SOUTH GEORGIA WITH THE BRITISH ANTARCTIC SURVEY
Ray Thirkettle BSc(hons),
Technical Services Electrician, BAS
Wednesday 8th March
SPIRALS IN TIME: EXPLORING THE SECRET LIFE AND CURIOUS AFTERLIFE OF SEASHELLS
Dr Helen Scales
Writer and Marine Biologist
Friday 24th March
THE MANY LIVES OF MATTHEW ARNOLD: ‘A GIFT IMPRISONED’?
Dr Kate Campbell
Senior Research Fellow, School of Literature, Drama and Creative Writing, UEA
Friday 20th October
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Lecture Dates for the 2015/2016 Season
All meetings start at 7.30pm
2015
Friday 23rd October — AGM followed by lecture
OH, WHAT A TANGLED WEB THEY WEAVE: AN INTRODUCTION TO SPIDERS
Dr Matt Wilkinson
Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge
Wednesday 4th November
THE RESTORATION OF 78 DERNGATE BY CHARLES RENNIE MACKINTOSH
Rob Kendall
Trustee and Chair of Friends of 78 Derngate
Friday 20th November
THOMAS CHIPPENDALE — MASTER CABINET MAKER
Ann Gore
C16th-18th Historian, Author, NADFAS & International Lecturer
Wednesday 9th December
OLIVE EDIS — PHOTOGRAPHER OF FISHERMEN AND KINGS
Alastair Murphy
Curator of Cromer Museum
2016
Friday 8th January
LONGITUDE FOUND!
Dr Rebekah Higgitt
University of Kent
Wednesday 27th January
A VERY MODERN BENEFACTION, THE ROBERT AND LISA SAINSBURY COLLECTION
Amanda Geitner
Director of the East Anglia Art Fund & former Chief Curator, Sainsbury Centre, UEA
Friday 19th February
THE COWARD? THE RISE AND FALL OF THE SILVER KING — THE STORY OF ADMIRAL ERNEST TROUBRIDGE
Steve R Dunn
Author
Wednesday 9th March
SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY IN FARMING
Dr Ed Moorhouse
Director: G’s Farming, Ely
Friday 18th March
‘NATURE’ AND ‘THE NATURAL’ IN MODERNIST SHORT FICTION
Dr Nonia Williams Korteling
School of Literature, Drama, Creative Writing, UEA
Friday 21st October 2016 — AGM followed by lecture
Lectures from the 2014/2015 Season
CIVIL AND STRUCTURAL ENGINEERING — MUCH SUCCESS AND SOME FAILURES
Frank Weare, MSc DIC DMS CEng FIStuctE MICE MIM MIHT
Chartered Civil and Structural Engineer
HALLEY VI RESEARCH STATION, ANTARCTICA
Ray Thirkettle, BSc(Hons)
BAS Project Electrical Support Technician 2012-2013 season
PORTABLE ANTIQUITIES
Dr Michael Lewis, FSA MIfA
Deputy Head, Dept. of Portable Antiquities and Treasures, British Museum
THE WAITES OF KING’S LYNN — WITH MUSICAL ILLUSTRATION ON EARLY INSTRUMENTS
Chris Gutteridge, Chief Waite
ART AND SCIENCE: CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY BOTANIC GARDEN CONSIDERED
Professor John Parker, D.Phil
CUBG Director 1996-2010 and Curator of its Herbarium 1999-2010
BOYD NEEL… A NEGLECTED MEDICAL AND MUSICAL POLYMATH
Dr David Green, MB FRCA MBA
Consultant Anaesthetist and Honorary Senior Lecturer, King’s College Hospital, London
R.F.LANGLEY: POET OF SUFFOLK
Dr Jeremy Noel-Tod
Lecturer in Literature and Creative Writing, UEA
MATSUO BASHO (1644-94) THE GENIUS OF HAIKU — AN INTRODUCTION AND APPRECIATION
Professor Brian Falconbridge, PPRBS
DECIPHERING BLETCHLEY PARK
Rob Johnstone
Retired Professional Engineer and former Bletchley Park Guide
Lectures from the 2013/2014 Season
Our lectures from this season had themes based on the birth of the Society 100 years ago.
WHOSE GRIT WAS IN THE OYSTER?
Given by Pat Knights
Research by Gill Simpole, BA BSc hons MA
For those of you who missed this entertaining lecture or who would like to enjoy it once again, you may read a copy of this lecture as a pdf file here.
SIR EDWIN LUTYENS (1869-1944): THE GREATEST BRITISH ARCHITECT?
Professor David Watkin, Hon, FRIBA
ZOOS AND CONSERVATION
Rebecca Moore, Director of Conservation, Education and Research, Colchester Zoo
BENJAMIN BRITTEN IN EAST ANGLIA
Tom Appleton, Musical Director, King’s Lynn Festival Chorus
PERPETUAL LIGHT: PART 1: FROM ARTS AND CRAFTS TO CONTEMPORARY STAINED GLASS
Dr Jasmine Allen, Curator, The Stained Glass Museum, Ely
EXPLORING THE HISTORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY
Dr Michael Pritchard, Director-General, The Royal Photographic Society
THE FUTURE OF THE NOVEL, 1913-2013
Ion Trewin, Author, Publisher and Literary Director of the Man Booker Prize
PERPETUAL LIGHT: PART 2: THE STAINED GLASS AT ALL SAINTS’, SOUTH LYNN
Dr Julian Litten, FSA
FROM LEECHES TO LOTIONS: A HISTORY OF THE PHARMACY SHOP
Richard Plagmann, MPharm MRPharmS
Lectures from the 2012/2013 Season
BESPAK — THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
Richard Warby, Product Engineering Manager
TRENDS & VARIATIONS OF TEMPERATURE & RAINFALL IN E.ANGLIA
James Dent FRMetS, Independent Consultant
ANCIENT DISEASES REVEALED BY OSTEOARCHAEOLOGY
Corinne Duhig PhD FSA MIFA, Wolfson College, Cambridge
FACING THE MUSIC
Seasonal refreshments will be served and the Norfolk Gallery Quire will perform West Gallery Church music, along with secular music and readings of the period, in costume.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF CANCER — FROM DESPAIR TO HOPE THROUGH SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH
Dr Kat Amey
EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT SLEEP BUT WERE TOO TIRED TO ASK
Neil Stanley PhD
SCREENING THE PAST: CONTEMPORARY SPANISH CINEMA & HISTORICAL MEMORY
Professor Rikki Morgan-Tamosunas, University of Westminster
MODERN ART IN ENGLAND 100 YEARS AGO
Anne Roberts R.A.S.Cert, M.Phil
THEMES & VARIATIONS IN ROMAN MOSAICS
Valerie Wilson M.A.
Lecture Programme From 2011-2012 Season
PALM PAPER PM7’ Project
Richard Hobson, Technical Sales Manager, Palm Paper
THE EFFECTS OF THE GREAT WAR ON THE POETRY OF EDMUND BLUNDEN
Margi Blunden, Daughter of Edmund Blunden
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF MOTHER JULIAN & MARGERY KEMPE
Pauline Lovelock B.Ed.Hons MA, Learning Project Officer at the Julian Centre, Norwich
NOEL! MUSIC AT CHRISTMAS — PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
Tom Appleton, Music Director of King’s Lynn Festival Chorus
THE SKY’S THE LIMIT — CONSTABLE AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF LANDSCAPE PAINTING
Anne Roberts R.A.S.Cert, M.Phil
OSCAR NEMON — SCULPTOR OF STATESMEN AND ROYALTY
Lady Aurelia Young
ELY PLACE — LONDON’S HIDDEN TREASURE
Jenny Watson-Bore, Tourist Guide to Clerkenwell & Islington and the City of London
PLANTS AND HONEYBEES — THEIR RELATIONSHIPS
Dr. David Aston, NDB
