EVENTS AND LECTURES 2020/21         

Our theme for the year is
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“Adapting to change in Aldeburgh and District”
 At a time when we are considering changes to our lives under ‘the new normal’ this year’s programme considers what has influenced change in Aldeburgh in the past, how people reacted and what the ‘old normal’ once looked like.
                                                                   

VISIT

At the time of compiling this programme, the ADLHS decided that a September visit to Harwich to enjoy the 400th Anniversary of the “Mayflower” sailing should not progress.  If Government guidelines are sufficiently relaxed then we may arrange for members to meet in Harwich to take a guided tour and visit the special exhibitions.   A trip in April 2021 is being planned.
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                                                   LECTURES​

 THESE WILL BE HELD AT 6.30pm IN ALDEBURGH COMMUNITY CENTRE - TICKETING RESTRICTIONS MAY APPLY .
Note we have moved to the Community Centre to allow for Social Distancing. WE are also investigating online access to the talks.        
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Wed 21st October “In the wake of the Mayflower”
CATHY SHELBOURNE
Over 25 million of us are descended from those who set sail from Plymouth in 1620 on board the “Mayflower”, bound for a new life in the New World free from religious persecution. In this 400th  anniversary year, we will look at the pilgrims' East Anglian roots and their motivation to leave, the route of the ship, and the expedition’s legacy.
Cathy’s special interest is maritime heroes and has experience as an enrichment speaker on board cruise ships.

Wed 18th November “Daniel Defoe’s Tour of the Eastern Counties in 1722: an eighteenth-century writer’s view of the region”
SARAH DOIG
The novelist Daniel Defoe is, of course, best known for his fictitious account of shipwrecked Robinson Crusoe's life on a desert island. However, many people are unaware that having travelled extensively in Europe, in later life he embarked on an epic journey around the British Isles. His delightful account of his travels through East Anglia forms the basis of Sarah’s talk, drawing on his portrayal of rural and maritime life in the region a few decades before the industrial revolution brought widespread changes.
We welcome back Sarah Doig an independent historical researcher, author and speaker. As well as having written for a number of local magazines, Sarah has had several books published by The History Press and Amberley Publishing. These include “The A-Z of Curious Suffolk”, “The Little History of Suffolk” and “A-Z of Ipswich: Places, People, History”. Sarah is the current chair of the Friends of Suffolk Record Office and is also a council member of the Suffolk Institute of Archaeology and History.
 
Wed 16th December “The Trinity Pilots of Aldeburgh”
CHRIS BROOM
Cited as ‘the most respected job that a seaman could attain’ the role of Trinity Pilot pre-dates the Tudor period, when some experienced mariners first made a living from providing merchant ships with safe passage from offshore waters to inland ports.   The fascinating story of the Trinity Pilots of Aldeburgh considers the impact of environmental and socio-economic change on the families of a close-knit community of hardy and courageous individuals, who rose to prominence in the town during the 19th Century.
Chris spent 5 years studying with the Institute of Heraldic and Genealogical Studies, Canterbury, and has been awarded both the Higher Certificate in Genealogy and the Diploma in Genealogy. He is also a member of the Register of Qualified Genealogists and the Society of Genealogists

​Wed January 20th 2021 Members’ Research Evening
What interests you about the history of Aldeburgh and the local district?  What have you discovered that others might like to hear about?  This popular evening is devoted to showcasing any topics researched by our members and remains open to accommodate short talks from them.  All offers welcome!  If needed help will be readily given in researching your subject or in preparing a presentation.   

Wed February 10th  “Rendlesham Revealed: Anglo-Saxon Life in South-East Suffolk”.
FAYE MINTER
This talk will give an overview of the recent work undertaken at Rendlesham and introduce you to the new community archaeology project ‘Rendlesham Revealed’ which is funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Following on from over 10 years of archaeological investigation, Rendlesham has been identified as a royal estate centre of the early East Anglian Kingdom. This new project aims to set this royal settlement into its landscape context by exploring the hidden archaeology across the Deben valley.
Faye is the Senior Archaeological Officer at Suffolk County Council.  She studied Archaeology and Anthropology at Durham University before working for several archaeological field units both in Britain and abroad. She then returned to Leicester University completing a Masters in Museum Studies.             

Wed March 17th Annual General Meeting followed by lecture: “Cold War”
Dr JOHN GREENACRE
In covering the activities of the Society over the last Year and looking forward to the coming Year we aim to keep the formalities of the AGM short and enjoy the lecture by John Greenacre.
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In February 1951 Winston Churchill observed that “by creating the American atomic base in East Anglia, we have made ourselves a target and perhaps the bull's eye of a Soviet attack".   Thanks to its geographical location and the legacy of the Second World War, Suffolk found itself on the front line of the Cold War and atomic warfare. Dr John Greenacre explores the reasons for the county's prominence and the legacy of the Cold War in the many buildings and structures designed for attack, defence and communication that still sit in the landscape today.
John spent twenty four years in the British Army as a logistician, reconnaissance helicopter pilot and staff officer. He is a graduate of the Joint Services Advanced Command and Staff Course and has an MA in Military Studies from Cranfield and a PhD from the University of Leeds.  John is currently a lecturer in history at the University of Suffolk covering the Twentieth Century World Wars and the Cold War.

Aldeburgh Parish Church Hall

Aldeburgh Community Centre

Aldeburgh Jubilee Hall