History Group Programme

The new programme for the History Group events and talks can be seen below and is also listed in the main History Group page.

History Group Programme 2025

DateSubjectInfoSpeaker
15 January 2025 Arthur! All about King Arthur and did he actually exist? Andrew investigates!Andrew Green
5 February 2025The Suitcase of Secrets - A Story of Love Amid Displacement in WW2The Suitcase of Secrets is a thrilling compassionate story of love, heartbreak and redemption in post war England and is partly based on actual events in Northern England in 1946 when Roman a Polish refugee determined to build a new life arrives in West Yorkshire and continues his search for his missing family whom he last saw in 1940's Warsaw.  However he is also hiding something when he meets and falls in love with Irish fiery Bridget...
Julie Fearn
19 February 2025The History of Water - The Sheffield ReflectionWater, an essential ingredient for life has a fascinating and rather turbulent history.  In the early years the industrial town of Sheffield expanded quickly and became victim to severe overcrowding putting pressure on supplies of drinking water and general cleanliness, resulting in various diseases and consequently high mortality rates.  It took 22 years for Sheffield's leaders to respond to the situation with sewers and further reservoirs.  As well as this timeline the talk will cover the history of the toilet and that of our local fifteen reservoirs.Dr Jennifer Stephenson
5 March 2025Pus and Prejudice! Immunisation & Lady Mary Montague WortleyThe focus of the presentation is on how Mary took on both deadly smallpox and the 'medical establishment' to introduce immunisation to our shores 300 years ago, pushing the boundaries of what was considered 'feminine behaviour' at the time! A short AGM will also be held at this meeting.Jennifer Rudd
19 March 2025Wentworth School and the Links to the Fitzwilliam FamilyThe talk looks at Victorian education through primary sources and explores the 'Fitzwilliams' and the 'big house' (Wentworth Woodhouse) connections.Susan Green
2 April 2025The History of the Lord Lieutenant's RoleHM Lord-Lieutenant, Professor Dame Hilary Chapman is His Majesty King Charles III's personal representative in the County of South Yorkshire. She will talk briefly about the history of the role as it is today covering the diversity and changes over the last few years.HM Lord Lieutenant Chapman
16 April 2025The History of the Humble ForkPaul's talk starts with a fun quiz followed by exploring how, why and when the eating fork was introduced into the British Isles and its evolution from 2 to 3 to 4 prongs, spanning the period from medieval to modern times with quotes and examples from historic records. The presentation concludes with the audience being asked to identify the more unusual cutlery items made in Sheffield.Paul Iseard
7 May 2025The Making of the Film The 1920's Sheffield Gang WarsThis is a story of the Sheffield Gang Wars of the 1920's involving gangs such as The Mooney Gang and The Park Brigade and the subsequent creation by the Chief Constable of Sheffield John Hall-Dalwood of the Special Duty Squad commonly known as the Flying Squad and their deployment.
Martin Rowley
21 May 2025Fools and Horses -The Victorian CircusThe history of The Victorian Circus is one of high success and dreadful failure, of fires, falls and fabulous feats.  Of horses, equilibrist, aerial acts and clowns, and the men (and women) who rode, tumbled, swung and gagged.  Of 'Lord' George Sanger whose circus was pitched at Windsor Castle to perform for Queen Victoria and Charlie Keith who invented the first iron circus.  The talk provides a fascinating insight into this little known aspect of Victorian entertainment.Anne Featherstone
4 June 2025Beyond The Blue Horizon -The Golden Years of Air Travel A modest tribute to the Golden Age of Air Travel.  Covering the years from the dawn of air travel to the 1950's, this talk looks at this unique period when air travel went from being uncomfortable, unreliable and very expensive to being stylish, luxurious and glamorous (and still very expensive).Mike Ogden
18 June 2025A Saucy Tale -The History of Henderson's RelishHenderson's Relish or Hendo's is a Sheffield phenomenon. Eulogised by Sheffielders often to the bemusement of others who have never heard of it.  Its also a remarkable survival of a Victorian product produced on a relatively small scale by a family business that has a varied and interesting history.Mark Dawson
2 July 2025RNLI Timeline.
Roy covers the reasons for the formation of the organisation and its history up to the present day, including the story of Grace Darling and describes the sort of jobs carried out today.Roy Meakin
16 July 2025“My Life”Cynthia talks about her years working for the NCB and her time as a JP, a role she performed for 20 years, a period which included the Miners’ Strike of 1984/5.Cynthia Shaw
3 September 2025“Tellin’ t’ Tale”Rod gives us background information about the Yorkshire dialect and the Yorkshire Dialect Society and entertains us with humorous poems and tales.Rod Dimbleby
17 September 2025The Denby Witchcraft Case of 1674David has written a book entitled “A Most Gross and Groundless Prosecution: the Denby Witchcraft Case of 1674”. This book is based around the content of original court documents, concerning the case and, in particular, a petition of over 50 local residents of the parish of Penistone.David Hinchliffe
1 October 2025 Unmentionable Foundations Part 2This is a return visit for Janet and this time she is talking about the history of ladies’ undergarments. Bras, stays, bustles and crinolines, all are included. It promises to be a laugh!Janet Stain
15 October 2025Home is Where the Hearth is 1750-1900 Part 2This is a return visit for Julie, and this time she covers the history of the development of our homes and how we use them, right up to the beginning of the last century.Julie Banham
5 November 2025The Gunpowder PlotEric will tell us about the events on this famous date in history and its consequences.Eric Jackson
19 November 2025January 1916 The Night the Zeppelins CameOn the 31st January, one of the largest Zeppelin fleets raided Britain. Losing their way, they wandered over the Midlands causing death and destruction.Stephen Flinders
3 December 2025Traditional ChristmasBob will recount to us the story of how things we do at Christmas came about and why.Bob Massey