2011 PROGRAMME
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Meetings are held on the third Wednesday of the month in the Stables Room at The Union Inn, Ford Street, Moretonhampstead starting at 7.30 p.m. unless stated otherwise. See programme for details.
19th January
President’s Address: 'The President’s Tale- a personal contact with Dartmoor’
Professor Ian Mercer, former head of the DNPA, is a leading authority & entertaining speaker on all aspects of Dartmoor.
16th February
600 years of the Greenway Estate
A fully illustrated talk by John Risdon that takes us from the Gilberts’ participation on the world stage in Tudor & Stuart times through to this beautiful estate’s association with Agatha Christie.
16th March
Thomas Hardy: Wessex Man
An illustrated talk by Brian Spittles, a Moreton resident, who was Head of Humanities at Ruskin College, Oxford.
Thomas Hardy's novels are still highly popular; several of them have been adapted to the television and cinema screens, including possibly the two most controversial novels of the Victorian period. He wrote very strong women characters who partly reflect his own experience with powerful females. The novels also express Hardy's own fascination with history.
13th April
Archive Films of the South West & Moretonhampstead
South West Film & Television Archive will show archive film covering a variety of West Country subjects with about the last 20 minutes dedicated to Moretonhampstead.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS WILL TAKE PLACE ON THE SECOND WEDNESDAY IN THE PARISH HALL
18th May
Alfred the Great
An illustrated talk by Derek Gore, lecturer at Exeter University, who takes a balanced view of this notorious ruler. The written and archaeological sources for his reign are fuller than for any other Anglo-Saxon king. He was ruler of Wessex, a kingdom south of the Thames, which included parts of the south-west. His achievements in war, administration, art and Christianity were considerable, but may be magnified because we lack information about other rulers of the period.
15th June
Visit to Plymouth Historic Navy Base & Museum
Details to be confirmed.
20th July
Visit to Vitifer and Golden Dagger tin mines
Meet at Bennett’s Cross at 2pm. Local expert, Dr Tom Greeves will lead a tour that should last about 3 hours.
21st September
Parole Prisoners in Ashburton & Moretonhampstead
There has always been a lot of anecdotal evidence about this fascinating topic. This illustrated talk by Barbie Thompson draws upon our society’s archive materials as well as newly available documents in the National Archives to explore who the prisoners were and what impact they had on the towns they stayed in.
19th October
Annual General Meeting followed by Annual Quiz on Moreton & Devon history.
16th November
Horses & History
Bob Pigott, for many years the local vet, reflects on his career in what promises to be a highly entertaining talk.
14th December
Christmas Dinner
Date & venue to be confirmed
MORETONHAMPSTEAD HISTORY SOCIETY
PRESIDENT Professor Ian Mercer
CHAIRMAN Bill Hardiman 01647 441 083 billmgs2001@hotmail.com
TREASURER & MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY Jeanette Webster 01647 440 810 moretonnews@aol.com
SECRETARY Dr Ian Mortimer 01647 440 153 ian@mortimer.co.uk
PROGRAMME SECRETARY Judy Hardiman 01647 441 083 billmgs2001@hotmail.com
NEWSLETTER EDITOR Christopher Pilkington 01647 440 503 christopher.pilkington@tesco.net
COMMITTEE Wendy Coombes, Edward Pike, Liz Prince
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS SINGLE £10 JOINT OR FAMILY £15 VISITORS £2 PER MEETING