NOTE: this talk is on a Tuesday, due to speaker's unavailability most Thursdays
And now for something completely different - some maritime industrial archaeology.
Today's speaker Geoff has been a railway enthusiast since his schooldays. At 15, he left school and started his career as an engine cleaner, working in the boilersmith’s shop and eventually becoming a top-link fireman based at Guildford Motive Power Depot. This gave him a privileged opportunity to work with a diverse group of drivers and locomotives until the final day of steam on the Southern Region, Sunday 9th July 1967.
The Rural Life Living Museum at Tilford GU10 2DL https://rural-life.org.uk/ is about 3 miles to the south of Farnham. It has a collection of life as it was in Surrey up until the end of the 1950s as seen through Preserved Buildings, Shops, Transport, Tradesmen and their Tools as well as other displays.
In 1846, a patent was awarded to a new type of corn-mill - it triggered a series of court cases which ran for more than 20 years. This talk tells the story of the invention and how the court cases provide examples of what makes an invention patentable in the UK today.
The work women of the Land Army in World War 2 is well known. This talk tells the story of the less well-known women who volunteered in the 1940s to keep traffic flowing on Britain’s canals. However they may have referred to themselves, they were far form “idle women”.
This talk uncovers a lost industry of the Adur valley – the making of salt. Salt is something we probably all take for granted, sprinkling it on our roast potatoes or adding it to our salads. Or even, perhaps, trying to eat less of it nowadays.
Make your own way to the Waggon Yard Car Park GU9 7PS in time for a 10:30am start to the Farnham walking tour, guided by Richard Shenton, which will take 90-100 minutes. There will then be time for lunch to be taken individually (at your own expense). In the afternpon, you may wish to visit The Maltings or the Museum of Farnam, or further explore the streest, shops, pubs and teashops of Farnham
A welcome reurn for David HAssard, one of SIHG's favourite speakers, for his first live talk to us since before Covid.
Some short presentations by SIHG member, including:
The world’s first underground public railway opened in 1863, running between Paddington and Farringdon Street in London.
Chris will explain why it was necessary, how it was built, and how it expanded right across our capital city.
