Peter Jackson

12th December Contrary to popular belief London was not quite the den of thieves and vagabonds that we had all believed. Bob Shoemaker’s excellent presentation proved just that, and furthermore revealed statistical evidence to back his argument. He has been instrumental in putting all the reported Old Bailey cases between 1674 and 1913 on line … Read more

Those who braved the snow and wintry weather enjoyed a trip through various snippets of times past in Sheffield. Julian’s interesting book of the same name, gives details of events happening throughout the year, over the years in our great city. From Buffalo Bill’s touring circus to Queen Victoria’s opening of the Town Hall, and … Read more

Indeed, this was a truly remarkable story and by the end of Mel’s talk we all felt somewhat humbled by the achievements of this amazing family. Alfred Gatty arrived in Ecclesfield in 1839 at the age of 26, having been appointed vicar to the then far reaching parish of Ecclesfield. The Gatty family grew both … Read more

Local historian Martin traced the development of the licensed premise from the early days of the licensing laws and then took us on a pictorial trip into the past to see some of the old Sheffield pubs that no longer survive along with many that still do. He revealed that some years ago the local … Read more

A most entertaining hour with Frank, not only telling us about the history of magic but showing us his talents with a number of tricks.From his “empty” box he withdrew a large number of items and showed us the famous three card trick. His finale had him locked up like Harry Houdini and just like … Read more

A departure from our normal talk, as Brian stimulated a discussion about the amount we spend on the NHS and how it is spent. The UK now spends over 9% of GDP on the NHS and with the nation’s debt position it is clear that the NHS must find its share. How we do this … Read more