Wednesday 18 October 2023            

Victorian Millinery and Prostitution

The lecture will bring together social history and literature to reveal the many contradictions of the Victorian period. It will discuss the shocking reality of Victorian values for those involved then in the ‘oldest of trades’. 

by

Su Lowy

Su undertook Victorian Studies at the University of Leicester from where she graduated. Her dissertation was entitled ‘Victorian Millinery and Prostitution’ so Su is very well qualified intellectually to speak on this subject! 

Since retiring, Su has been leading social history walks around Rock Park.


Wednesday 15 November 2023 

Thomas Brassey: the greatest railway builder in the world

During a 40-year railway-building career, Thomas Brassey’s many achievements included the building of one third of the railways in the UK, three quarters of the railways in France, one in 20 miles of the world’s railway network, plus many bridges, viaducts, stations and dock systems. 

The lecture will highlight the many achievements of this most modest man.

by

Peter Bolt

Peter, a retired fluid handling engineer with the Atomic Energy Authority at Capenhurst, is Secretary of the Thomas Brassey Society.


Wednesday 6 December 2023

Wirral and the Age of Queen Victoria (1819-1901)

The lecture will trace the changing face of Wirral during the 19th century, setting this against the life of Queen Victoria. Born when the peninsula was almost wholly rural and only Neston numbered more than a thousand inhabitants, the Queen’s life saw much of Wirral transformed out of all recognition by the influx of people from Wales, Ireland and Cheshire, and the growth of commerce, industry and commuting.

by

Elizabeth Davey 

A retired teacher and lecturer, Elizabeth is a local historian with a long-standing interest in Wirral. The author of Birkenhead: A History, she has published numerous articles, recently paying particular attention to the development of parks.


Wednesday 17 January 2024 

88 Rodney Street, Liverpool

Rodney Street is named after Baron Rodney, famed for his victory against the French in the West Indies in 1782. 

The building of large terraced houses in Rodney Street began in 1783 and these were originally for wealthy merchants. However, a lawyer established his business at Number 88 and it was from behind these doors that discussions were held between Southern Confederate officers and members of the British legal profession. These discussions nearly led to America declaring war on Britain, and sending American gunboats down the River Mersey to destroy Liverpool shipyards!

by

John McFerran

Born in Belfast and a graduate of Queen’s University there, John is a former senior manager for Sainsbury plc. He is currently a Liverpool Blue Badge tourist guide for the Liverpool City Region and a Chester Green Badge guide for the City of Chester.


Wednesday 21 February 2024 

Visiting the Victory

HMS Victory was visited as a result of researches into Lord Nelson, Lady Hamilton and Napoleon. The lecture will provide much interesting insight and many fascinating pictures of HMS Victory.

by

John Michael Corfe

A former local government planning officer responsible for several multi-million-pound projects, John is a prolific speaker on a wide range of historic characters and places. 


Wednesday 20 March 2024

The Settlement of the Welsh Colony in Patagonia

In 1865 a group of people embarked from Liverpool on a tea clipper called the Mimosa. They had been gathered from all over Wales and their aim was to travel to the most remote area they could find.

The lecture will tell their story of survival in the Patagonian Desert in South America.

by

Dr Clare Dudman 

After a career in scientific research and teaching, Clare has devoted the last two decades of her life to ‘being a writer’. A published author, Clare has written four novels as well as a book of non-fiction, and her lectures are based on her research which forms the basis of her books.