Meetings

A talk by Jan Cooper John of Gaunt, 2nd Duke of Lancaster, transformed Kenilworth's medieval fortress into a fortified Royal Palace.  This talk covers the significance of his building works at Kenilworth, his three marriages (including his final marriage to his long term mistress Katherine Swynford) and how his children from all three marriages went …

A talk by Peter Coulls Peter Coulls is a retired Local Government Officer with a lifelong interest in railways and industrial archaeology. His talk will cover the development of the Leamington & Warwick Tramway between 1881 and 1930. Initially a horse drawn operation over a single track, it was electrified in 1905 and most of …

A talk by Allan Jennings Most people are aware of Guy Fawkes and the Gunpowder Plot. However, Yorkshireman Guy Fawkes wasn’t the leader of the conspirators or the person that planned the attack, it was someone much closer to home. This comprehensive talk gives details of the history behind the plot, the people and places …

A talk by Bob Booth In 1879, George and Richard Cadbury moved their factory from the city centre to the Bournbrook Estate some four miles distant. Transport links were good and there was clean water from the River Bourn. They named the new factory site Bournville. George Cadbury was appalled at working class living conditions …

A talk by Trevor Langley Guy of Warwick is a legendary hero of Romance literature, popular in both England and France. The talk reveals the Romantic, Chivalrous and Tragic story of a local 'super-hero' - facts, fiction and tradition who became a legacy to the town of Warwick in literature, folklore and music.

A talk by Stephen Wass Stephen was contracted by the National Trust to review the park and gardens at Baddesley Clinton in the light of new LIDAR images they had commissioned. During the course of the work, several new sites were discovered and the whole history of the gardens rewritten. The talk will provide an …

A talk by Rick Thompson The Warwick & Warwickshire Bank owned by the Greenway family had been a trusted provincial bank for nearly a century. But on September 6th, 1887 the bank's buildings in Leamington and Warwick were closed with notices saying business had been suspended. The bank had gone bust with huge debts and …

I am sorry to have to announce that we have had to make a change to the planned talk for our next meeting on Tuesday 17th September. Our speaker, Andrew Reekes, who was to have talked to us about the work of the Civic Gospel in Birmingham, has had to cancel for personal reasons. We have been …

A talk by Tim Clark Built in the C15th, to house the tomb of Richard Beauchamp at the time one of the most wealthy and powerful men in the country, 2025 will mark the 550th anniversary of his entombment. A magnificent example of European architecture, the chapel also houses the tombs of Robert Dudley, Earl …

A talk by John Miles. The Lucys have lived at Charlecote for over 800 years, and their descendants are still there today. The talk will cover the family history up to the present day and their contribution to Charlecote Park as we know it today.