2016
| 14/01/2016 | The Barnfield Theatre | / visit with Malcolm Grigorey |
| 11/02/2016 | Past Exeter: Sidney Endacott's Watercolours | / talk by Christine Trigger |
| 10/03/2016 | Methodist Church, Sidwell Street | / visit |
| 14/04/2016 | Exeter and the Great War | / talk by Tony Lethbridge |
| 12/05/2016 | Pinbrook House, the church and others | / visit with Malcolm Grigorey |
| 09/06/2016 | Exeter School: Its History | / talk by Kevin White & John Davidson |
| 14/07/2016 | Visit to the Maritime Museum | / walk with Malcolm Grigorey |
| 11/08/2016 | 100 Things You Should Know About Exeter | / talk by Dr Todd Gray |
| 06/09/2016 | 100 Things You Should Know About Exeter | / talk by Dr Todd Gray |
| 16/09/2016 | Recycling Centre and history of rubbish disposal | / visit with Frances Allwright |
| 13/10/2016 | Norman Exeter | / talk by Malcolm Foster |
| 05/11/2016 | The Royal Clarence Fire: The Historical Loss and Survival | / talk |
| 12/11/2016 | Behind the Scenes at the Guildhall | / visit with John, the Mace Sergeant |
| 08/12/2016 | Polish Air Fighters in WW2 | / talk by Michael Parrott |
The Barnfield Theatre
on Thursday, 14 January 2016
We started with a fascinating journey through the history of the land on which the theatre was built, from the early 1600s to the present day. Malcolm produced copies of maps from 1618, 1702, 1805 and 1835 which showed how the area had changed over the years.
Past Exeter: Sidney Endacott's Watercolours
on Thursday, 11 February 2016
at Jurys Inn, Exeter
On 11 February 2016, immediately after our AGM, we were honoured by a talk from our well-known member, Christine Trigger, about a little-known artist, Sidney Endacott. His paintings are delightful and show an Exeter long gone.
Christine took us through his life and showed us slides of his superb canvases of the Exeter area. His painting of the meeting room at Tucker’s Hall graces the front cover of Christine’s book (members will remember this room from having our own meeting there on 12 June 2014). Endacott died in 1918 leaving as his legacy beautiful records of Exeter around the turn of the century.
Methodist Church, Sidwell Street
on Thursday, 10 March 2016
Eighteen members gladly forsook the glorious sunshine to go for a guided tour round the Methodist Church in Sidwell Street. Our guide, Bob Price, was most entertaining as he explained to us the history of the building. The glorious church that we know was built and opened in 1905. So it is not actually a Victorian building, though the design is of course pure Victorian.
Exeter and the Great War
on Thursday, 14 April 2016
at Jurys Inn, Exeter
On 14 April 2016, Tony Lethbridge, who is a local historian and who also has a lifelong interest in military history, gave us a talk on the First World War from the viewpoint of Exeter. He had visited many historic battlefields and in the last ten years particularly those of the First World War.
His talk outlined life in Exeter during the war years along with events in Flanders and other places where Exonians were involved in the conflict.
Pinbrook House, the church and others
on Thursday, 12 May 2016
In pouring rain, eighteen of us ran into the St Michael and All Angels Church and were made welcome by Malcolm, our Programme Organiser, and John, a Church Warden who had generously given up his morning to open the church for us.
Exeter School: Its History
on Thursday, 09 June 2016
at Jurys Inn, Exeter
The dry spell was held for our visit to Exeter School on 9 June. We met Kevin White, the school's Archivist, and John Davidson, Director of Alumni Relations, in the quad and they took us into the chapel, where Kevin gave us a short history of the school.
Visit to the Maritime Museum
on Thursday, 14 July 2016
At the canal basin, Malcolm explained the history of the railway carrying goods from the quay for distribution around the country and in return bringing goods to the quay for shipment around the world – all of course via the warehouses. He pointed out the remains of the rail turntable (allowing wagons to be turned) with both broad and standard gauge rail lines.
100 Things You Should Know About Exeter
on Thursday, 11 August 2016
at Jurys Inn, Exeter
On Thursday, 11 August 2016, fans of Exeter’s history learnt a hundred facts about the city we live in from Dr Todd Gray. He skipped through the city’s history relating little-known but fascinating events that have occurred in the city over the past 500 years. Todd is well known in Exeter for his many books on the city’s history (numbering over 40!) and for his delightful and often very humorous presentations of our past.
100 Things You Should Know About Exeter
on Tuesday, 06 September 2016
at Jurys Inn, Exeter
On Tuesday, 6 September 2016, members enjoyed an exceptional evening when the well-known and entertaining historian (and member), Dr Todd Gray, took us skipping through the city’s history by relating little-known but fascinating events that have occurred in the City over the last 500 years.
Todd is well known throughout Exeter for his many books on the city’s history (numbering over 40!) and for his delightful and often very humorous presentations of our past. We were delighted that Todd explored some little-known events in our history and there certainly were some startling revelations.
Recycling Centre and history of rubbish disposal
on Friday, 16 September 2016
First, we saw a JCB which lifts the waste into the bag splitter - hence the necessity for households to keep their recycling loose. Next, we saw the pre-sort cabin where cardboard is removed and contaminated material (about 10%) is taken off and re-loaded into another container. Glass is not colour-sorted by households as the smashed glass would contaminate the recycling material so householders should deposit bottles and jars in the colour-sorted bins at various supermarkets, car-parks etc.
Norman Exeter
on Thursday, 13 October 2016
at Jurys Inn, Exeter
William the Conqueror, to consolidate his power, besieged Exeter when the Saxons openly defied him. He won. Not a hundred years later, civil war raged through England and Exeter was once again at the centre of things. This time the city was besieged by King Stephen while Exeter Castle was held in the name of the Empress Maud.
Malcolm Foster has always been passionate about Medieval English history. His book 'The Eyes of Exeter' was a stunning historical novel about Exeter's resistance to William the Conqueror. He followed this up with a second book, 'The Demonin the Bones', in September 2013.
He taught the subject at St. John's, Sidmouth, for many years. He has also written many pieces for piano, as well as a song cycle “On Romney Marsh not far from Rye”, which was recorded in 1986. On top of these accomplishments, he has written and produced more than a hundred plays for his pupils at St. John's as well as producing plays at the Manor Pavilion in Sidmouth and the lovely theatre in Stonehouse, Plymouth.
The Royal Clarence Fire: The Historical Loss and Survival
on Saturday, 05 November 2016
at Barnfield Theatre
Talk by Todd Gray, John Allan, Richard Parker & John Thorp With thanks to Exeter City Council for their support.
Behind the Scenes at the Guildhall
on Saturday, 12 November 2016
Over 50 people attended the three tours of this building! We were given a potted history of the building; deeds date back to 1160, when the infamous Judge Jeffery presided over assizes here.
Polish Air Fighters in WW2
on Thursday, 08 December 2016
at Jurys Inn, Exeter
Over 70 years ago Exeter was defended from the Luftwaffe's bombing raids by a small band of comrades, the Polish 307 Squadron RAF known as 'The Eagle Owls'. That night-fighter squadron has become widely forgotten, not just in Exeter but even in Poland.
When local amateur historian Michael Parrott discovered a wooden plaque in a chapel within the Higher Cemetery, little did he know that it would take him on an amazing journey of discovery about that Squadron.
He told us how he has spent the last four years researching and promoting the role of that Polish squadron. He has met and recorded interviews with veterans, helped family members discover more about relatives who served in the squadron, and, as a member of the 307 Squadron Project, a British-Polish registered charity, held several exhibitions both in the UK and Poland. They have thousands of followers on Facebook.
Print 