Directory of Previous Talks

Stan, who is one of our members, gave an entertaining insight into his career as a pharmacist, mixed with a little flavor of his private life, including his period as a national serviceman. He hails from Blackpool but has been in God’s country sufficiently long to be accepted by the locals.  With his father’s words … Read more

Slashings, woundings, beatings, stabbings and murder,   All in a day’s work.   No not the mean streets of Chicago or London’s East End, but here in Sheffield in the early 1920s. Julian Bean gave Stumprlowe Probus a fascinating insight into the infamous activities of two rival gangs fighting for supremacy: of the lucrative illegal rackets which … Read more

Dr Susan Deal told the extraordinary story linking the 5th Duke of Portland to one Thomas Charles Druce. It was claimed that they were the same person by the daughter in law of Thomas Charles Druce and that her son was the rightful heir to the Portland fortune. It was a Victorian mystery full of … Read more

Stephen began his 13th presentation to us since 2001 where he finished off in Part 1 of the talk on the 28/1/13, near Leeds. The exact location being Kirkstall Abbey, built in the 11th century, which is situated  on the Midland Railway line, Leeds to Carlisle section, opened in 1876. The line closed in the … Read more

A party of 25 members including wives, visited the Cromford Mill for a guided tour of the Mill and the Village. An excellent day out for all, which was made all the more interesting by our well informed guides who brought the workings of Sir Richard Arkwright’s developments to life. A fuller description of the … Read more

Richard Ashbee stepped in at short notice with an excellent photograph led talk in which he revealed to us again both his passion for nature and photography plus his understanding of wild life.  The standard of the photographs was quite outstanding. His talk ranged from every day subjects found in one’s garden to rare birds … Read more