2025 Lecture Series
April 8th Chariot Racing / The Roman Circus with Richard Bale
April 22nd A Quantum Leap into the Past with Max Fox
A new vision of our Roman City from East to West.
May 6th Colchester’s Oldest Roman Road ACXX with Ray Cantrell
May 20th Theatre in Colchester (part 2) with Dorian Kelly
Lost but not forgotten
June 3rd The Story of the Cromer Express with Peter Jones
June 17th Colchester Memories with Peter Denney
The Edwardian Years
July 1st AGM at 7pm followed by Dick Nunn with Trevor Disley
The Coggeshall Blacksmith and activist
Sept 2nd Harwich and the Kindertransport with Helen Brown
Sept 16th The Gods and Colchester with Max Fox
from Pagan Deities to the Reformation.
The sites of lost religious buildings.
Sept 30th Victorian Medicine with Dr Jane Pearon
Inquests in Colchester
Oct 14th Colchester’s Roman Circus with Francis Terry
New plans for the rebuilding of the starting blocks of the Roman Circus.
Oct 28th The Mark Davies Memorial lecture with Philip Wise
Norman Colchester.
Further information from Joy Hopkinson, Programme Secretary
……………………………………………………………….
You can read more about the above lectures in the latest newsletter in our Archive section. The Friends of Colchester Museums have an impressive history of lectures. You can see all lectures from 2018 below. You can also visit a complete list of our previous lectures – from 2008 onwards – in our Archive section.
……………………………………………………………….
Time & Location of Lectures
All lectures take place on Tuesdays at 7.30 pm at Lion Walk Church Colchester CO1 1LX which is located directly opposite Boots and New Look; and between River Island and Costa coffee. View the map
No need to book – just turn up! No tickets; simply pay on arrival.
……………………………………………………………….
Lecture Admission Prices
Admission price per lecture: £2 (members), £4 (non-members) or by season ticket.
To become a member please complete a form on our membership page.
For further information about our lectures please contact Joy Hopkinson, Programme Secretary, at joyhopkinson1010@gmail.com
……………………………………………………………….
Previous Lectures
2024 Series
April 9th Colchester Non-Conformists: Seven Hundred Years of Awkward Colcestrians
Ray Cantrell will explore events, both horrifying and humorous, associated with people
and places in Colchester…
April 23rd ‘Theatre in Colchester – lost but not forgotten’
Colchester has always been a centre of excellence in the theatre and entertainment worlds…
May 7th ‘A history of bell ringing and the bells of Colchester churches’
We are lucky in Colchester to have some churches with wonderful bells that are still rung frequently…
May 21st ‘Boudica: Myth and Legend’
Richard Bale has a lifelong interest in the Romans, studying them at university and then
working in the ‘field’ for many years…
June 4th and September 3rd: Colchester Medical Society 250th
Anniversary
(date amended)
Colchester Medical Society was established in 1774, so this year celebrates their 250th anniversary…
June 18th ‘Colchester Voices: Wartime Memories of D-Day and Beyond’
(date amended)
Patrick Denney is well known to us as a past Chair of the Friends and a local historian and author…
July 2nd AGM at 7pm followed by ‘The Taylor Maids’
Peter Jones has given many fascinating talks to the Friends on a wide range of subjects…
September 3rd: Colchester Medical Society 250th Anniversary (ii)
September 17th ‘The life of Charles Haddon Spurgeon: Preacher and Teacher’
Peter Tervet has conducted extensive research into the life of Charles Haddon Spurgeon, a most influential Baptist preacher during the 1800s…
October 1st ‘The Braintree hoard and late Saxon Essex’
A rare and historically important hoard of Anglo-Saxon coins was recently discovered at a site in North-East Essex, near to Braintree…
‘October 15th The Cinque Port of Brightlingsea: Blessing of the Waters’
Roger Tabor is a well-known biologist and naturalist who has presented many natural
history programmes on television…
October 29th: The Mark Davies Memorial lecture
……………………………………………………………….
2023 Series
31 Oct – WHEN PAXMAN WENT BUST – The Mark Davies Memorial Lecture by Andrew Phillips.
11 April UNDER SEIGE Colchester and the Civil War – Cllr Prof Pam Cox
25 April COLCHESTER ROYAL GRAMMAR SCH POOL Colchester’s biggest war memorial! – Dr Paul Byrne
9 May THE LOW COUNTRIES TO NEW HALL AND BEYOND A history of the Canonesses who now live in Chelmsford and Colchester – Sr Moira O’Sullivan and Sr Margaret Mary Horton
23 May THE GREAT ESSEX EARTHQUAKE 1884 When panic and destruction swept across n. Essex – Peter Jones
6 June THE ESSEX INDUSTRIAL SCHOOL The Chelmsford institution for desolate boys founded 1872 – Emma Palmer
20 June (AGM and) OLD HEATH Ancient port and modern suburb of Colchester – Patrick Denney
4 July THE JOURNEY TO A NEW MUSEUM FOR BRIGHTLINGSEA A curator’s view – Margaret Stone
5 Sept FRINTON & WALTON HERITAGE TRUST Its future plans and new Heritage Centre – John Barter
19 Sept – THE TOWN WATCH – by Town Watch
3 Oct – THE ART IN THE TOWN HALL – An insight into this rich collection by Philip Wise
17 Oct – COLCHESTER BETWEEN THE WARS – continued from the 2022 lecture by Paul Rusieki
……………………………………………………………….
2022 Series
12th April ESSEX ROCK Geology beneath the landscape – Ian and Ros Mercer
26th April THE RISE OF MODERN COLCHESTER 1940-1990 – Andrew Phillips
10th May SCENES PAST A History of Photography in North Essex – Chris Farndell
24th May FRIENDS TO THE RESCUE – 25 years of acquisitions for the Museums – Philip Wise
7th June THE CALM BEFORE THE STORM Colchester 1938-1939 – Paul Rusiecki
21st June A BRIEF HISTORY OF 45 COLCHESTER SCHOOLS – Sir Bob Russell
6th Sept COLCHESTER IN THE 20th CENTURY – Colchester Film Makers THE LOST CITY OF DUNWICH – Mark Mitchels
20th Sept COLCHESTER CEMETERY – Sharon Mooney
4th Oct ESSEX LIGHTHOUSES Maritime Safety off the East Coast of England – Peter Jones
18th Oct THE HISTORY OF ST LEONARDS AT THE HYTHE The rise and fall of one of Colchester’s finest medieval churches – Joy Hopkinson
1st Nov THE CHANGING FACE OF ORDNANCE SURVEY ONE INCH MAPS OF ESSEX – Peter Walker
15th Nov MONEY TALKS British history and daily life seen through coins – Tom Hodgson
……………………………………………………………….
Previous Lectures Continued…
2021 Autumn Series
(Lectures still on Zoom – some available to revisit)
Fee: £2 per computer to view; £10 for all 6 lectures
6th September THE GENTEEL CLASS OF GEORGIAN COLCHESTER and their homes – Patrick Denney
20th September MEDIEVAL COLCHESTER: EVIDENCE FROM WILLS – Sue Howlett
4th October REVIVING GAINSBOROUGH’S HOUSE – Emma Boyd Please note: now 11th October
18th October THE HISTORY OF PERRYWOODS – Hannah Powell
1st November THE CORNER SHOP KILLINGS OF 1919 – Paul Stickler
15th November SUTTON HOO – Laura Howarth
……………………………………………………………….
2021 Spring Series
(Lectures were delivered by Zoom)
12th April ROMAN PUBLIC BATHS and TOWN HOUSES – Adam Wightman
26th April MUSEUMS FROM YOUR ARMCHAIR – Glynn Davis / Rory McDaid
10th May THE HISTORY OF BOXTED AIRFIELD -Richard Turner
24th May COLCHESTER’S INDUCTRIAL PAST – Peter Jones
7th June VICTORIAN DOCTORS – Jane Pearson
22nd June THE THAMES THROUGH TIME – Ian & Ros Mercer
……………………………………………………………….
2020 Evening Series
Evenings 7.30pm; afternoons 2.30pm
(All were postponed until 2021)
7th April ROMAN PUBLIC BATHS and TOWN HOUSES – Adam Wightman
21st April THE RISE AND RISE OF NEW TOWN – Andrew Phillips
5th May THE HISTORY OF BOXTED AIRFIELD – Richard Turner
19th May TOWARDS THE ABYSS – Colchester and WW2 – Paul Rusieki
2nd June CLACTON THEATRES & MEMORIES – Roger Kennell
16th June THE THAMES THROUGH TIME (preceded by AGM) – Ian & Ros Mercer
8th September THE GENTEEL CLASS OF GEORGIAN COLCHESTER and their homes – Patrick Denney
22nd September THE 1913 COLCHESTER TRAIN CRASH – Jim Connor
6th October COLCHESTER’S VICTORIAN DOCTORS – Dr Jane Pearson
20th October A BRIEF HISTORY OF 45 COLCHESTER SCHOOLS – Sir Bob Russell
3rd November CHRISTMAS IN MEDIAEVAL ESSEX – Kate Cole
17th November ROMAN ARE & ARCHITECTURE IN COLCHESTER – Mark Davies
……………………………………………………………….
Previous Lectures Continued…
2020 Afternoon Series
16th April COLCHESTER CANNIBALS – Philip Lyons
14th May REVIVING AN ARTIST’S BIRTHPLACE – Emma Boyd
18th June FROM SALT TO SATELLITES – Peter Jones
17th September THE HISTORY OF PERRYWOODS – Alan Bourne
15th October SCENES PAST – history of photography in north Essex – Chris Farndell
12th November HISTORY OF THE MUSIC HALL – Brian Ford
……………………………………………………………….
2019 Evening Series
9th April PAXMANS 1918-2018 – Andrew Phillips
23rd April PICTURES OF PETER FROSTE Architectural reconstruction paintings – Philip Crummy
7th May ADORN – the Castle’s 2019 exhibition – Glynn Davis
16th May afternoon lecture
21st May COLCHESTER AND THE GREAT FLU PANDEMIC of 1918-1919 – Dr Paul Rusiecki
4th June HISTORY OF CASTLE PARK – Jenny Jones
13th June afternoon lecture
18th June AGM followed by WIND & WATER A brief history of milling – Peter Jones
3rd September PORTRAIT OF VICTORIAN COLCHESTER – Patrick Denney
17th September MALDON SALT WORKS history of Blackwater’s salt extraction – David Newman
1st October HISTORY OF THE AVENUE & LEXDEN – Dr Fab Casale
15th October THAMES THROUGH TIME River Thames in North Essex – Ian & Ros Mercer
29th October THE TRUE HISTORY OF TYMPERLEYS – Mark Davies
12th November OYSTERS & OILSKINS clothes of Victorian East Coast Fishermen – Penny Youll and Jane Robinson
14th November afternoon lecture – see below
……………………………………………………………….
2019 Afternoon Series
25th April BOURNE MILL nearly 1,000 years of history – Richard Scott & Simon Whitney
16th May PLUTO’S BELCH how ancient cultures explained earthquakes – Frances Boardman
13th June THE AVENUE OF REMEMBRANCE stories behind the bronze plaques on trees – Liz White
12th September COLCHESTER TRAMS – Peter Jones
17th October JUMBO – Then and Now – Brian Light
14th November COLCHESTER’S RIVER – Ray Cantrell
……………………………………………………………….
Previous Lectures Continued…
2018 Series
ESSEX TOWNS AND VILLAGES Patrick Denney
GROWING UP IN THE DUTCH QUARTER in the 50s & 60s Roy Waters
COLCHESTER MILITARY HOSPITAL Paul Byrne
FURTHER BARGING (more Essex coast voyages) Jim Lawrence
A CONCRETE LEGACY IN THE UNDERPASSES (murals of Henry& Joyce Collins) Katherine Wood
TRANSPORT OF DELIGHT – Colchester buses – civic pride in a century of service Alan Skinner
LIFE AND TIMES OF THE EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY Peter Jones
A WEALTH OF CASH (Colchester’s coin hoards) Mark Davies
TOWN CRIER’S LIVERY – Robert Needham
