HISTORY OF WHITBY CIVIC SOCIETY LECTURE PROGRAMME.

Our first meetings were offered free which inhibited us from doing too many as they were a burden on our funds. A decision was made to charge and have more frequent meetings.
In the year 2001, Doreen Wort became our first programme organiser and the now monthly meetings soon became popular. Doreen continued in the post for 4 years, eventually handing the position over to Maureen Eves for the period 2005 – 2008. Elizabeth Cheney then took over for the year 2009. Betty Bayliss and then Wyn Jones replaced Elizabeth and became our last programme organiser serving until 2015 when, unfortunately, ill health caused her to retire.
By now our monthly lecture programmes had become well established with audience attendances generally ranging between 30 to 50.
Following this, all Committee members submitted their suggestions for speakers and the next years programme was formulated from the best of these.
This method is still in use, the member who made the suggestion being responsible for the organisation of the talk.
Of the many interesting speakers over the years a few notable talks have been given by

In 2006 Ian Carmichael, star of cinema and television, was interviewed by Martin & Angela Verrill
John Grundy - TV presenter & author. October 2011
Joe Botham - Spoke about the family history of our local baker Bothams & Sons, Whitby & Pickering. March 2011
Marjorie Thompson - Local historian. March 2009 January 2010 January2011
Neil Williamson - Showing his excellent pictorial history of Whitby. November 2011 November 2015 July 2016 and Neil is booked for August 2017
John Stokoe - The then deputy editor of Whitby Gazette. March 2011
Julia Mulligan - North Yorkshire's Police & Crime Commissioner. March 2015
Sue Boyce – Speaking about conservation issues. April 2013 June 2015
Carol & Stuart Fusco -The growth of Fusco's fish & chips in Whitby. May 2016
Debbie Horne - History of Hornes & Whitby Gazette. October 2016
RAF Fylingdales. Space operations. March 2017

As well as these lectures occasional visits have been organised to venues such as RAF Fylingdales, Underground at Boulby Mine and the RNLI Lifeboat, Whitby. Occasional lunch outings for members are also organised together with our annual Christmas meal.

We welcome further suggestions from our membership regarding future talks or visits.

 

Lecture Programme 2019

The lectures are all on the third Monday of the month at the Coliseum. The lectures begin at 2pm from January to March, 7:15pm from April onwards, then back to 2pm for October and November.

 

January 21st .........  The Death Railway by Paul Wilson

February 18th ....... AGM followed by a talk on the history of the White Horse and Griffin by Ed Henebury

March 18th ............ The history of St Hilda’s Roman Catholic church by Mark Edwards

April 15th .............. The history of Bothams with Jo Botham

May 20th ...............  The Sirius mine project with Matt Parsons

June 17th ................  The history of Whitby Jet with Rebecca Tucker

July 15th...............  A pictorial history of RAF Fylingdales by Neil Williamson

August ..................  Daytime events will be arranged

September 16th .....  The legacy of Captain Cook by Clair Stones, Education Officer, Captain Cook museum

October 21st ..........   30 years in the Police Force by Adele Davies

November 18th .....    Forensic Archaeology: ’Death and Discovery’ by David Dance

December 5th ........    Christmas meal

 

LECTURE PROGRAMME 2018

The lectures are all on the third Monday of the month at the Coliseum, except for August which will be a daytime event. The lectures begin at 2pm from January to March, 7:15pm from April onwards, then back to 2pm for October and November.


January 15th ..............................The Yorkshire films of Nell the sheepdog by Graeme Aldous

February 19th ............................AGM

March 19th ................................The ghost signs project - Peter Craggs

April 16th ...................................Slowing the Flow - the Pickering flood relief project - Mike Potter

May 21st ....................................The history and development of the N Yorkshire Moors Railway - John Bailey

June 18th ...................................The history of Parkol Marine - Sally Atkinson.

July 16th ....................................The history of the William Riley - Peter Thompson and Tim Hicklin

August .......................................A daytime event will be arranged (a tour around Guardian III plus a tour around Parkol Marine)

September 17th .........................Fisheries Protection Patrols: a talk by John Mallett, SBO

October 15th .............................Whitby Abbey: a talk by one of the curators

November 19th ..........................A meander down the Esk with John Freeman

December 6th ............................Christmas meal