Coffee and Cakes Talks

Autumn Coffee and Cakes talks


These talks are only available by booking your ticket in advance. Doors open 15 minutes before the start time listed.
Talks include coffee, tea and cakes and cost £5.50 per person. 


Celebrating Tudor Suffolk: 1558 was an important year for the Tudor dynasty.  ‘Bloody’ Mary died, and Elizabeth I came to the throne.  Clive Paine continues his major series of talks on Tudor Suffolk exploring the impact of the change in ruler on the County and its people - with a little glimpse at the Stuart dynasty....

Celebrating the National Year of Reading
Many of our events have a literary theme this year to celebrate with Libraries the National Year of Reading.  Suffolk has a strong literary heritage and this is explored by local historians in this series of lectures.  Come and be enthralled.....

Celebrating Christmas
As usual, the Record Office is offering seasonal lectures to delight and entertain....

                            

Suffolk in 1588, the year of the Spanish Armada - Celebrating Tudors
Clive Paine
In July and August 1588 England was faced with the threat of invasion and conquest.  The Elizabethan government had prepared for the eventuality by surveying the coastal defences of southern and eastern England, raising troops and commissioning ships.  This talk examines the background to the Armada and, using documents, maps and accounts, the role that Suffolk and Norfolk were to to play in the events of 1588 - including coastal defences by forts, munitions and beacons; the provision of ships and the mustering of the local militia forces.
Saturday 18 October 2008                    10.30am                    Bury
Saturday 18 October 2008                    2.00pm                    Ipswich


The Ghost Stories of M R James - Celebrating the National Year of Reading
Clive Paine
M R James, antiquarian, Biblical scholar and author of ghost stories grew up in Livermere where his father was Rector.  He knew the landscape and history of the Bury area intimately.  Careful research has revealed that several of the ghost stories are set around Bury.
Saturday 1 November 2008                   10.30am                      Bury
Saturday 1 November 2008                   2.00pm                        Ipswich


Ghosts and legends - Celebrating the National Year of Reading
Ivan Bunn
Fascinating legends and ghost stories of Suffolk....come and be entertained!
Sunday 2 November 2008                    11.00am                      Lowestoft


The Gunpowder Plot - Celebrating Tudor Suffolk
Clive Paine
On 28 January 1606, Guy Fawkes was hanged, drawn and quartered for his part in the Gunpowder Plot.  On the same day, Ambrose Rookwood, a Suffolk gentleman of Coldham Hall, Stanningfield was also executed as one of the plotters.  This talk investigates the motives of the plot and how Ambrose became involved.
Saturday 8 November 2008                   10.30am                    Bury
Saturday 8 November 2008                   2.00pm                      Ipswich


A.B.C. - the History of the Teaching of Reading - Celebrating the National Year of Reading
Clive Paine
Alphabets, simple stories with short words, plenty of illustrations to prompt discussions are common to all our early educational experience. Using primers, ABCs and early reading books Clive will examine how children were taught to read in the period before state education.
Saturday 15 November 2008                10.30am                    Bury


NFU Centenary - 2008
Guy Smith
From humble origins of a motley collection of County Farmer's Unions, the NFU grew into the nation's leading farming body. This is a remarkable story of challenge and change.
Saturday 22 November 2008                10.00am                     Ipswich


Suffolk's Folk Tales - Celebrating the National Year of Reading
The Folk Tales of Suffolk, although few in number, have parallels with other English and Continental examples.  A different strand of Folk Tales is based on actual events such as the Green Children of Woolpit, the Wildman of Orford and Black Schuck, the Hound of Hell.
Saturday 22 November 2008                  10.30am                    Bury

 
Charles Dickens and Suffolk - Celebrating the National Year of Reading
Clive Paine
Dickens drew on personal experiences and visits to Ipswich, Bury and Sudbury to provide background and characters for both the 'Pickwick Papers' and his novels.  This talk investigates Dickens' links with Suffolk and asks if Smike ran the Old Curiosity Shop on the Cornhill at Bury?
Saturday 29 November 2008                    10.30am                   Bury


Voyage Round East Anglia
Robert Simper
Local author Robert Simper gives an illustrated talk about the coastal and river estuaries of Suffolk.
Saturday 29 November 2008                   2.00pm                   Lowestoft


A Dickens of a Christmas - Celebrating Christmas
Clive Paine
Charles Dickens in his 'Pickwick papers', 'Christmas Carol' and 'Household Words' fired the public imagination and created the model of how Christmas ideally should be celebrated.  This illustrated talk, interspersed with readings investigates 'What the Dickens did Dickens actually have to say about Christmas?'
Saturday 6 December 2008                       10.30am                    Bury


Some Clerical Characters in 19th and 20th Century Suffolk
Roy Tricker
Introducing a few of our more unusual and eccentric Anglican clergy and their churches.
Saturday 6 December                               2.00pm                        Ipswich


A Christmas Stocking - Celebrating Christmas
Dr Pat Murrell
Join Pat Murrell when she will be filling this seasonal item of footwear with traditional gifts and explaining their history for your amusement in her festive lecture for 2008.  Accompanied by homemade mince pies with their special filling too!


"Sloightly on the huh"
Charlie Haycock
An eccentric look at Suffolk, its dialect, characters, social history and why Suffolk people are asked what part of Australia they are from!
Saturday 21 February 2009                    10.00am                  Ipswich


Bookings should be made on the booking form and sent to the relevant branch of the Suffolk Record Office.