ANNUAL PROGRAMME 2022-23

There is an entrance charge of £4 for each talk - which are held in Bridge Village Hall starting at 7.30pm.

SEPTEMBER 15^th 2022
A short AGM followed by
Founding America, Cushman, Canterbury and the Mayflower voyage - Martin Crowther

Martin will explain the religious intolerance and upheaval of the 16^th and 17^th centuries in England. The persecution and martyrdom of Radical Christians - called the Separatists - created a desire for a new start in a place where they could set their own conventions. This led to a group we call the “Pilgrim Fathers” planning a fresh start in the New World.

OCTOBER 20th 2022
Aristocratic Amazons in Arms, the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry - Juliette Pattinson

This talk examines the First Aid Nursing Yeomanry, the earliest quasi-military female force to be formed (in 1907) and still in existence today with unbroken voluntary service. We will consider the wider context of the formation of the Corps, the adventurous young women who flocked to this innovative organisation and their service during the First World War.

NOVEMBER 17th 2022
Canterbury in the 19noughties and some Naughty Goings On - Ian Osterloh

Francis Bennett Goldney, a colourful and controversial Mayor of Canterbury (and later MP), shook the ruling elite to its core, when he tried to oust the sitting MP. Being implicated in the Irish crown jewels robbery of 1907 did not diminish his status and the controversies continued long after his death. Is he still fooling some of us even today?

DECEMBER 15th 2022
pre-Christmas social

The Committee invites you to join them in the Village Hall for a pre-Christmas social with complementary mulled wine, sausage rolls and mince pies. More details to follow.

JANUARY 19th 2023
Thirty Years of Bother on the Hover - Brian Laverick-Smith

Brian Laverick-Smith is a retired hovercraft pilot. He will give us a humorous behind the scenes look at the world’s biggest hovercraft in operation across the English Channel, set against the history of the hovercraft in Dover.

FEBRUARY 16th 2023
Thomas Becket- Imogen Corrigan

Thomas Becket is one of the most famous Archbishops of Canterbury, best known for his violent end in Canterbury Cathedral on December 29^th 1170. Imogen’s talk charts the rise of Thomas Becket from a scholar who loved sports, to being one of the most powerful men in the land. It is a story of great drama but nonetheless a human one.

MARCH 16th 2023
Smuggling on Romney Marsh - Sue Duckworth

The illustrated talk, using quotes and poems, starts with an introduction to when, what and why smuggling took place. It then moves on to look at the locations on Romney Marsh and local people involved in smuggling and explains how smuggling began to decline.

APRIL 20th 2023
The Black Prince - Peter Genower

The Black Prince-hero or villain? He was the classic romantic knight at the height of the age of chivalry, a national hero and military genius, the warrior prince who never became king. But do fatal flaws in his character cloud the reputation and legacy of Edward the Black Prince? The talk will cut away the hype and take a clear-eyed view of the man behind the legend.

APRIL 27th 2023
Spring Social at the Red Lion

Our traditional Christmas Social is moved to the Spring. You are reminded that you need to have subscribed to the Society beforehand if you would like to attend.

MAY 18th 2023
The Elham Valley Railway - Alan Walton

From the late 1880s the Elham Valley Railway line linked Cheriton and Canterbury. In addition to passengers, it was used to transport all manner of household and commercial wares. After WWII its usefulness declined and the line closed in 1947. However, its path and earthworks still hold fascination for passers-by and provide a valuable habitat for wildlife.

SUNDAY JUNE 25^th 2023
Visit to Bishopsbourne Station

A chance to visit Bishopsbourne Station on the old Elham Valley line, lovingly restored by its owner Jan Knott who will show us round. Further details to follow.