Meetings will start at 7.30 apart from the February meeting which is preceded by the AGM at 7.15. The current year will run from February to November 2026.
Speakers 2026
| 18th February | Matt Williams | AGM at 7.15 followed by Norwich down the drain: 150 years of sewerage Matt Williams spent many years working in Eastern England in the construction industry as an engineering geologist, and latterly ran a cycle training company based in Norwich. His publications on local subjects include Subterranean Norwich, Norwich Submerged and Norwich’s Netherflow, and several publications about Norwich Over the Water and the Anqlia Square area. About the talk: ‘Out of sight, out of mind, but where would we be without the ability to flush away waste? For most of Norwich’s history, there was no such service for the majority of people, and the first public sewers didn’t arrive until a couple of lifetimes ago. At one time, Norwich had become known as the happy hunting ground of the nations’ civil engineers, for reasons he will explain. Matt will describe some spectacular past feats of underground engineering – infrastructure that ensured the needs for a growing city were met. But can we continue to rely on our sewerage system?’ |
| 18th March | Adrian O’dell | What the Normans did to and for Norwich
The Castle and cathedral dominate the heart of Norwich and bear witness to the lasting power of the Normans who built them. We are pleased to welcome back Adrian O’dell to talk about the dramatic effect the Norman conquest had on the city. |
| 15th April | Michael Nix | Manufacturing and marketing Norwich textiles in the 18th Century
By the 18th century Norwich was known for its textiles produced in great quantity by small scale weavers. Dr Michael Nix researches textile history and will talk about the variety of textiles produced in the city and which were exported across the globe. |
| 16th September | Cathy Terry | Strangers’ Hall, from Merchant House to Museum |
| 21st October | Richard Matthew | The residents of Dragon Hall in the 19th century |
| 18th November | Pete Goodrum | Norwich in the 1970s |
Visits 2026
To be confirmed
Booking forms for the two visits will be available at the meeting on April 15th.