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- Toy Train to the Clouds
9 February 2.30pm – St Joseph's Church Hall
Climbing 7,000ft up through tea estates to the Raj-era hill station of Darjeeling, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is a triumph of civil engineering. Opened in 1881 it was designated a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1999. Many of the trains are still hauled by the British-built steam locomotives dating back to 1892. Paul Whittle’s talk... - Doctor at Sea
9 March 2.30pm – St Joseph's Church Hall
Speaker Dr Bob Cruthers - Life as a Chelsea Pensioner
13 April 2.30pm – St Joseph's Church Hall
Brian Cumming’s talk will provide a unique insight into what it’s like living at the world-renowned Royal Hospital Chelsea, the retirement and nursing home for about 300 veterans of the British Army. The Royal Hospital was built in 1682 on the command of King Charles II and under the direction of the architect Sir Christopher... - Behind the scenes at Wimbledon
11 May 2.30pm – St Joseph's Church Hall
Speaker Alan Chalmers spent 40 years at Wimbledon’s Centre Court as the All England Club’s steward with special responsibility for looking after the seating arrangements and security of the competitors, their guests and assorted VIP guests, his first being Frank Sinatra. He has many anecdotes from 1976 onwards. - Royal Jubilees
8 June 2.30pm – St Joseph's Church Hall
Travel journalist and cruise ship speaker Graeme Payne explores how royal jubilee celebrations have evolved from a celebration of the monarch to jubilation by the people. - Brides, Booty and Battles
13 July 2.30pm – St Joseph's Church Hall
Historian and former Mastermind contestant Helen Poole describes the difficult relationship between England’s Tudor monarchs and the Spanish crown. - By Greyhound Around America
14 September 2.30pm – St Joseph's Church Hall
Speaker Tim Albert says: “In this talk I look at the great country from an unusual perspective – two road trips on Greyhound buses half a century apart. “I draw on diary entries and original photos (no selfies!) to show how in 1969, as a 22-year-old student, I was blown away by the sights I saw... - Dining with History
12 October 2.30pm – St Joseph's Church Hall
Former BBC broadcaster Jessica Thurtell looks at changes through the ages in the way we eat. - The Cinque Ports
9 November 2.30pm – St Joseph's Church Hall
The Cinque Ports were a confederation that provided naval service to the king in medieval times in return for tax and other privileges. They were not so much a navy as an important source of ships when needed, providing essential maritime expertise to the king when such knowledge was limited. Their pre-eminence in medieval times...