OCT 13^th     MILITARY ON THE MOOR                                        By Paul Rendell

PAUL RENDELL: “Mr Dartmoor” is back again! He needs no introduction other than to say what Paul doesn’t know about Dartmoor is not worth knowing! Editor of Dartmoor News, speaker and Dartmoor walks.

TALK: How the military have used Dartmoor over the last 150 years: why and how they use this moorland for the security of the country.

OCT 20^th      SURNAMES IN DEVON AND BEYOND                   By Robert Hesketh

ROBERT HESKETH:  Speaker, freelance writer and photographer with a strong interest in local

history.  Published over 70 Devon, Dorset and Somerset titles and written numerous illustrated articles for The Countryman, Dartmoor Magazine, Country Walking, Trail, Cornwall Life and other publications. Offers guided history tours of Exeter and Bovey Tracey.

TALK:  Like place names, surnames are an integral part of our county’s and nation’s heritage. Indeed many, Combes and Hext for instance, are local place names too. There are also occupational names, some, such as Tucker, with a strong local flavour; family names like Bennett and Hicks and many nicknames (some quite outrageous!) from Brock and Fox to Fairweather and Wellbeloved.       

OCT 27^th    THE SECRET LIVES OF WITCHES                                By Marion Gibson

PROF. MARION GIBSON: Professor of Renaissance and Magical Literatures, Director of Flexible Combined Honours.

TALK:  About an Elizabethan witchcraft trial and showcases some original historical documents like parish registers, explaining what they tell us about the accused people.

NOV 3rd        NEW ZEALAND: ORIGINS, LANDSCAPE and FIGHT TO SAVE  

                    NATIVE BIRDS.                                                             By Ian Gasper                  

IAN GASPER:  Former head teacher and much-travelled individual, Ian is a trustee and volunteer with Devon & Cornwall Refugee support to whom his Speaker fees go. His wonderfully illustrated talks are always well received.

TALK: This talk based on a six week visit in 2023 will look at the geological origins and human arrival in New Zealand. It will explain and show how the fauna of the country is unique but also so vulnerable and how serious steps are being taken to rectify this huge problem. The fabulous landscapes and fascinating bird life will be well illustrated.

NOV 10^th       LIVES OF ORDINARY PEOPLE IN TAVI AND TAMAR WW1 & WW2     

                                                                                                                          By Vanni Cook

VANNI COOK:   Her creative and research background has shaped her interests in the social importance and value of local heritage empowering specific target audiences to build bridges between the past, present and the communities that they live in.

TALK:  Stories told by those who lived during these periods. It aims to showcase the importance of the small events of everyday wartime existence that were woven into the tapestry of their lives.
It is based on memories shared by the members of local communities during oral history projects carried out on behalf of various organisations c. 2003 to 2011 to underpin their project objectives and for educational purposes.  

NOV 17^th        ORANGUTANS and other WILDLIFE OF SABAH  By Peter Burkill            

PETER BURKILL: I am a biologist by training and rose to become Director of the Sir Alister Hardy Foundation in Plymouth. Now retired, my love is to travel with a camera, taking pictures of wild-life. Unfortunately this is curtailed as I had a stroke 2 years ago which affected my brain.

TALK:I will take you to Sabah in northern Borneo, first to the Danum Valley then to the Kinabantangan River and lastly to Sepolok to see the wild-life there. The main attraction  is to see Orangutans in the wild. They are fascinating creatures, the largest arboreal mammals with long arms and a solitary nature. In contrast, other apes, such as langurs, macaques and proboscis monkeys, are more sociable. Birds such as Hornbills are equally sociable, as you will find out!!

NOV 24^th      MARY TAVY AND MORWELLHAM POWER STATION                    

                                                                                                          By  Jake and Josh                                       

 JAKE AND JOSH: Both employees at Mary Tavy HEP

 TALK:  Explanation on when and how they were built, the three respective reservoirs supplying the stations, the leat network and canal and the different type of turbines within the power stations. Josh will talk about the modern challenges of operating a power station so old and the regulations we have to adhere too. Josh will take questions at the end.

DEC 1st       HOW DARE YOU ARREST MRS PANKHURST?       By Karen Moore

KAREN MOORE:   An independent heritage researcher. Studied at Plymouth University, where she obtained a MA in Social History - dissertation on the history of swimming in Plymouth.  Volunteer for Heritage Researcher at Ford Park Cemetery Plymouth since 2010, contributing to numerous exhibitions and guided walks. Passionate about bringing local history to life.

TALK:   Discussing the arrest of Emmeline Pankhurst. The talk will detail her apprehension upon her return to Plymouth from America, before being taken to prison in Exeter, via Barne Barton. Karen will also cover the police coordination and the subsequent suffragette response.

DEC 8^th    BODMIN AND WADEBRIDGE RAILWAY                     By John Burden

JOHN BURDEN: I'm a retired head teacher, and have spent a good deal of my new-found freedom writing books. In addition to my trilogy about the life and times of the Baby Boomers, I've written a couple about the Bodmin Railway.                             

TALK: My talk comprises two parts: a brief history of this unique railway, and then a more detailed account of an extraordinary restoration project which began in Swindon in 1962, and ended at Bodmin over half a century later.

Included in the former will be evidence that the original Bodmin and Wadebridge Railway has justifiable claim to being one of the most famous and long-lasting railways in the world and whose historical provenance is confirmed by its prominent place in the National Railway Museum in York.

The restoration story involves royalty (Edward VII and Princess Diana) a world famous opera singer, a fairy-tale castle in Wales and a near-fatal disaster. The book on which this story is based is called 'Something Special', and copies will be on sale on the day at just £5 each.

The book itself was reviewed in the railway press, and includes the following: “It's rare to find an historical railway title that is actually capable of raising a chuckle, but this one did on more than one occasion, thanks to the lively and informal style in which it is written. There really is something here to interest most: early railways, Victorian history, BR engineering and carriage restoration. A quality, glossy book that puts many more expensive books to shame. Something Special indeed!”

DEC 15^th     THE SHIPS PROJECT                                                   By Mallory Haas

MALLORY HAAS: Mallory Haas is an archaeologist who started her career working in public archaeology and is now a Director of The SHIPS Project.

TALK: The SHIPS Project CIC is a volunteer non-profit organisation that undertakes research and exploration of maritime historical sites and events, both on land and underwater. We also provide consultancy services in maritime heritage for projects in southwest England.

The SHIPS Project is based in Plymouth, England, and the focus of our work is centred  on that city. Plymouth has a wonderful maritime heritage that stretches from the Bronze Age to the present day including maritime and shipping, military and aircraft, fishing, industrial and transport, piers, docks, and harbours as well as Roman and prehistoric sites.

The work of The SHIPS Project is undertaken by unpaid volunteers known as the 'SHIPS Crew'. The SHIPS Project was kindly sponsored by the US research foundation ProMare from 2010 to 2016. In 2021, The SHIPS Project became a Community Interest Company (CIC), a special type of limited company which exists to benefit the community rather than private shareholders. 

Some of The SHIPS recent projects include: The Barn Pool Dig; the discovery of the lost village of West Stonehouse, Finding HMS Amethyst; A Napoleonic Frigate, Rediscovering Plymouth Castle; from 3D models to new publications.

JAN 12^th     PRESERVING PRECIOUS MEMORIES: Recording the Life Stories of

                 People living with Dementia.                                                  By William Hay

WILLIAM HAY: Former probation officer, university lecturer and researcher in health and social care specialising in criminal justice. Has a PhD and been involved in two major research projects: a Home Office study into how order is maintained in maximum security prisons; and a study of the legal and social issues that emerge when separating parents are in dispute over arrangements for their children in terms of contact and residence following their separation.

TALK: Based upon a National Lottery funded two-year project undertaken by the LifeStories team based within Tavistock Area Support Service (TASS) in the Anchorage Centre.

The talk will cover various aspects of the project including the importance of recording the life stories of people with dementia both for themselves, their families and wider society, together with the ethical and practical aspects involved.

JAN 19^th    R.A.F.  STATION HARROWBEER – PART 2                By Michael Hayes

MICHAEL HAYES:  Owner of RAF Harrowbeer Archives, Educational and Heritage Centre incorporating Knightstone Tearooms together with his wife Lucy. They  researched the airfield and collated the ever growing archives

TALK: R.A.F. Station Harrowbeer was a Second World War Aerodrome that was built on a portion of Roborough Down, Yelverton and became operational on the 15^th August 1941.

It was placed on “Care and Maintenance” on 31^st July 1945 and finally closed its doors and handed back to the original owners in 1962.

In this presentation we hear about what happened after the Dieppe Raid “Operation

Jubilee” in August 1942 and R.A.F. Harrowbeer’s part in D-Day.

JAN  26^th      TRYWHITT’S TRAMWAY                                            By Simon Dell

SIMON DELL: Simon has been a regular speaker at The Wharf for some years. He is a retired police officer, having served for over 40 years through five decades and until last year was volunteering at Dartmoor Prison in the chaplaincy department. He speaks on many Dartmoor topics and is always most entertaining.

TALK: Join Simon Dell for his new talk on the Plymouth and Dartmoor Railway, otherwise known as Tyrwhitt's Tramway - a fascinating story of the construction of the horse-drawn tramway from Princetown to Plymouth's Sutton Harbour in the 1820s to become one of the earliest railroads in the UK.