Speaker Programme 2020/21

January 2021

We are continuing to use Zoom to provide online video interactive meetings to our membership. All of our paid-up members receive an e-mail invitation to join each meeting. The online meetings are scheduled for the same day and time as our usual meetings, at 7:30 p.m. on the third Wednesday each month. Sadly we cannot allow casual visitors for single meetings as the administration becomes impractical.

The online meetings will feature a live presentation with the opportunity to ask questions. As with our usual meetings there will be notices about forthcoming events and the opportunity for some social discussion.

Our meeting on Wed. 20th January again had nearly 40 people attending, this time to hear Richard Clammer's talk on 'Beachley and the First World War'. This included a number of excellent photographs of the construction of National Shipyard No. 2.

The speaker on February 17th will be John Vigar, talking on 'Churches in Retirement'. Among many other things, John is a trustee of The Friends of Friendless Churches (FoFC).
As many of you will already know, the FoFC takes over churches that have become less used and supports their maintenance. Several churches in Monmouthshire are in their care, notably St Mary (Llanfair Kilgeddin) and St Jerome (Llangwm), as well as St David (Llangeview) and St Michael and All Angels (Gwernesney).
John recently did a very well received talk for Usk U3A on 'Country Houses'.

The FoFC website is here: FoFC

John's own website is here: John Vigar

December 2020

Our inaugural Zoom meeting in November had Frank Olding talk about 'The Old Gods of Gwent'. This was very well attended with nearly 50 people braving the new (and easy to use!) technology.

Our meeting on Wed. 16th December had nearly 40 people take time off from Christmas preparations to enjoy Dr Naylor Firth's talk about World War 2 in the local area.

At our next Zoom meeting, on Wed. 20th January, we welcome back Richard Clammer, this time with a talk on 'Beachley and the First World War'. This will include the now-vanished shipyards (photo below).

November 2020

We are starting off the new look meetings by welcoming back one of our friends who, because of changes in circumstances, has been absent from our programme for some time. Mr Frank Olding in a past life was Heritage Officer in Blaenau Gwent and has a wealth of local knowledge second to none. His subject on Wed. 18th November will be 'The Old Gods of Gwent' which will go back in time, as we did with the Wentwood outdoor talk, to the Silures People of Gwent and the Iron Age.

On Wed. 16th December Dr Naylor Firth is back with a new talk about World War 2 in the local area, which will be in living memory for some members but we all will learn some new and interesting facts.

In 2021 we plan to remain flexible, with either Zoom meetings or live events if possible in safety. The speakers we have in the pipeline include Professor Ray Howell with 'The Footprint of Llangybi Castle', postponed from the start of the first lock down; Dr Mark Lewis from the Roman Museum in Caerleon whose talk 'Archaeology on Your Doorstep' will send us all out to look at the countryside in a new way and Richard Clammer with the history of Beachley Peninsula and its ship yards.

Last updated 07/02/21. © Copyright LLHG 2021