Lecture Programme 2017-18

Copies of the Lecture Programme are sent to members in September each year along with application forms for renewed membership.

All meetings are held in The Hunter Club, 86 Guildhall Street, Bury St Edmunds and begin at 7.30pm. Visitors are welcome to attend any lecture for a fee of £5.

Monday 2 October:
Christopher Garibaldi
Treasures of the Turf - The History of Palace House and Horseracing

After an interesting career with English Heritage and the Royal Collection, then as Keeper of Decorative Art and Senior Curator at Norwich Castle Museum, Christopher Garibaldi studied for an MBA at Cape Town and Chicago Universities.

In 2010 Christopher moved to Newmarket to lead the multi-million pound redevelopment of the National Heritage Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art at Palace House, opened by the Queen in November 2016

Monday 6 November:
Dr Helen Smith
The Chadacre Trust

Helen Smith was brought up on a traditional mixed farm in Norfolk. She trained as an agricultural scientist specialising on the control of virus diseases of agricultural crops. Helen worked for Unilever and its operating companies Birds Eye and Bachelors, then at Rothamsted Research and spent the final part of her career at Broom's Barn Sugar Research Station. Following retirement in 2001 Helen was appointed Administrator for the Chadacre Agricultural Trust.

Monday 4 December:
Ron Murrell
Church Carvings - Misericords

While in the R.A.F. Ron completed a BA (Hons.) in History and a City and Guilds in Antique Furniture Restoration. On his return to Bury St Edmunds he eventually joined the Council's Museum Service and has worked as Heritage Officer at Moyses Hall for over 15 years. He writes and presents lectures on a range of topics.

Monday 8 January:
Prof Mark Bailey
The Black Death and the Abbey of Bury St Edmunds

MARK BAILEY is Professor of Later Medieval History at the University of East Anglia and High Master of St Paul's School, London. He had previously taught medieval and local history at the University of Cambridge, and in 2010 was a Visiting Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford. He is the James Ford Lecturer in British History (elect) for 2019 in the University of Oxford.

Monday 5 February:
Lance Alexander
West Stow - Reconstructing the Past

LANCE ALEXANDER has been an art designer based in Norwich and freelance artist for the BBC children's department, working on educational based historical projects. In 1995 he took up a short term position at West Stow Anglo-Saxon Village as part of the reconstruction team building the experimental Houses. This turned into the role of Education Officer, then into management of the site. Lance is currently the TIC and Heritage Operations manager for the Heritage Service.

Monday 5 March:
Annual General Meeting
Followed by:
Rt Rev Tim Stevens
The Vikings and their impact on Bury St Edmunds

Rt. Reverend Tim Stevens was Bishop of Leicester between 1999 and 2015 where he developed relations with the world faiths in a religiously diverse city. He was responsible for overseeing the reburial of Richard III in Leicester Cathedral. Tim was Convenor of the Bishops in the House of Lords between 2009 and 2015 and was Chair of the Children's Society 2004-2010. Today he is a Board Member of the Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Trust and Prelate of the Order of St John. He lives in Bury and has a son and two grandchildren.