Programme: 2024-25

Friday 19th April 2024: Jubilee Hall
7:15pm for 7:30pm
Medieval Medicine – Myth or Magic
Speaker: Sandra Gann

Sandra Gann, a former Lady Almoner at Barts Hospital, now researches the history of monastic medicine. Her recipe for analgesic cream should make us profoundly grateful for paracetamol.

Sandra explains the development of medicine and care in medieval society.

Examples of institutions providing care range from monastic hospitals to Barts in London and to a church in Soutra.

Most people could not afford the few trained doctors, so apothecaries or alchemists were commonly consulted as were women with knowledge of folk lore use of plants and superstitious rituals. All practitioners needed a good knowledge of astrology as the position of the planets played an important part in both diagnosis and remedy.

Friday 17th May 2024: Jubilee Hall
7:15pm for 7:30pm
Dere Street
Speaker: David Jones

Best known as a Roman Road, Dere Street connected York with northern Britain allowing troops and traders to travel into Caledonia. But the route is much more than a Roman road. Where Dere Street crosses the unspoilt landscape of the Cheviots traces of thousands of years of activities can be seen all along the way.

David Jones, chair of Coquetdale Community Archaeology, will be describing the route and archaeological finds along Dere Street, from Rochester through the Cheviots to Pennymuir and slightly beyond!

Friday 21st June 2024: Jubilee Hall
7:15pm for 7:30pm
The History of Cragend Farm
Speaker: Lou Renwick

The Renwick family took over Cragend Farm in 2011 and since then Lou has undertaken extensive research into the history of the farm. Her talk tells the story of the farm since King Edward III gave lands to Baron Henri de Perci in 1331 which included Cragend Farm and the lands of Rothbury and Warkworth to the present day. Lou will also have on display many of the interesting historic artefacts found during the extensive restoration the family have undertaken on the farm.

Thursday 18th July 2024
Visit
Bishop Auckland Palace

Friday 20th September 2024: Jubilee Hall
7:15pm for 7:30pm
The Other Jarrow Crusade
Speaker: Tom Tweddell

Sir John Jarvis meets the team at a local football cup final in 1934 in Hebburn 

John Jarvis (1876–1950) was an industrialist and philanthropist who became the Conservative MP for Guildford (1935-1950). He is best known for his philanthropic and industrial efforts in 1934 (2 years before the Jarrow March) to assist the town of Jarrow in the economic depression of the 1930s.

Friday 18th October 2024: Jubilee Hall
7:15pm for 7:30pm
The History of Howick Hall Gardens and Arboretum
Speaker: Robert Jamieson

The Head Gardener, Robert Jamieson, tells the story of how the gardens and arboretum at Howick have been developed, starting with Charles, 2nd Earl Grey (Prime Minister 1830-34) through to the present day. The gardens are now best known for their spring bulbs and woodland garden with stunning displays of azaleas and rhododendrons. The 65-acre arboretum contains trees from around the world. Many of the plants and trees in the gardens and arboretum have been grown from wild seed collecting expeditions.

Friday 15th November 2024: Jubilee Hall
7:15pm for 7:30pm
A Medieval Travelogue
(Margaret Tudor: The Royal Progress)
Speaker: Aidan Harrison

Our talk this month is about ‘The Royal Progress of Princess Margaret Tudor’, (at the tender age of 13) to her marriage to James IV, King of Scots at Holyrood Abbey, Edinburgh in 1503.Bottom of Form

Our speaker, Aidan, uses the manuscript of John Yonge, Somerset Herald, who accompanied the Princess, to describe the events of the 20-day journey from Kent into Berwickshire.

Friday 13th December 2024: Jubilee Hall
7:00pm for 7:30pm
A Christmas Special
Speakers: Karenza Storey  and Jeff Reynalds

This year we will be serving complimentary wine/coffee/tea/soft drinks, mince pies and cake at 7pm.

You will then have time to look at Jeff Reynalds’s display of vintage post-cards.

At 7:30 Karenza will give a presentation on ‘The Lord of Misrule’.

Followed by Jeff’s presentation about ‘The History of Local Hostelries’.

Each presentation should last about 20 minutes

Please make sure you arrive in good time to avail yourself of the refreshments and to view the displays before the talks start at 7:30pm

Friday 17th January 2025: Jubilee Hall
7:15pm for 7:30pm
The Roots of Reiving
Speaker: Michael Thomson

In September 2023 Michael gave us a fascinating talk on ‘Reiving: The Dark Tradition’.

In this year’s talk he delves deeper into this dark tradition, tracing the culture back from its ‘official’ origins with Edward I to the iron age.

Friday 21st March 2025: Jubilee Hall
7:15pm for 7:30pm
Shipbuilding in the NE: Tees to the Coquet
Speaker: Phil Huntley

This is a story of mergers and closures of shipyards where tugs to Battleships were built, from the Tees to the Coquet. In the boom years 1864-89, four out of five ships across the world were built in the NE. But the crashes in the 1930’s left grass growing in the shipyards and now, sadly, almost all have gone. Throughout the presentation Phil will illustrate the story with some of the famous ships from the region’s shipyards.