2009
September Windsor Castle Ann Leaver
September Coprolites Barry Horne
October Remember, Remember the 5th of November Christine Rowe
October Roman Children Janet Hoskinson
November Message in a Bottle Mark Simmonds
November Akhenaten Exposed; The Aftermath of Amarna Ruth Thomas
December A Reeve’s Tale Hugh Granger
December A Memorable Christmas Betty Pibworth
December Christmas Social (following the lecture on that day)
2010
January Archaeological Facial Reconstruction Martin Weaver
January Humorous Archaeology Phillip Hill
February Archaeology West of Bedford Mike Luke
February Nash Hill, Historic Paper Mill Bob Zeepvat
March History of Preston Deanery Liz Friendship-Taylor
March Going for a Spin Colin Rowe
April Bletchley Park and the Double Agents Peter Wescombe
April Jettons, Tokens and Forgeries David Thorold
April Jettons, Tokens and Forgeries David Thorold
May Iron Age Settlements in Northamptonshire Andy Chapman
June Annual General Meeting
June Summer Tea
September     Charles Rennie Mackintosh – the house and galleries in Northampton Rob Kendall
September The History of “Spare Parts Surgery” Dr. Tony Maisey
October Recent Iron Age and Roman finds at Turners Hill Farm, Wheathampstead Simon West
October The pleasures of a guide at the oldest place of worship in England – St. Albans Abbey Anthony Oliver
November Al Andalus Linda Amas and Ann Burrows
November More on “Akhenaton Exposed” and his Pathology Ruth Thomas
December The Parks Trust – history, conservation, management and the future of parks in Milton Keynes Rachel Sutton
December A Tudor Christmas Martin Sirot-Smith
2011
January The Ancient History and Archaeology of Bulgaria Martin Weaver
January The Interpretation of Dreams Dr. Mike Lowis
February RSPB – The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds’ history, reserves and projects. Including garden feeding techniques John Clews
February Waddesdon Manor – Rothschild family history and the development of the manor Bob Keating
March Milton Keynes Theatre – a behind the scenes look at theatre development Nicola Jelliman
March Graphology – Your handwriting interpreted Joyce Parkinson
April Kelmarsh Hall : the Gardens and Characters Involved Esther McMillan
April Greeks, Trojans and Hittites Roy Aspden
May Recent discoveries by the Northamptonshire Archaeological Unit Andy Chapman
June Annual General Meeting
June Summer Tea
September Churches, Cemeteries and the Victorians: Black Feathers to Black Underwear Kevin Varty
September Aspects of the Roman Army Iain Dickinson
October A Magic Lantern Show Dr. Mike Lowis
October The Norman Castle of Alderton: a Time Team investigation John Kleine
November History and Archaeology in Alderton : After Time Team John Kleine
November The Role and Development of Stained Glass in Churches
 Paul Sharpling
December The Romans in Buckinghamshire Dr. Jill Eyres
December A History of Pantomime Nicola Jelliman
2012
10 January Santiago de Compostela
The speakers’ personal recollections of the 1000 kilometre pilgrimage trail from France and Germany to the cathedral of St. James in north-west Spain.		 John and Molly Reardon
24 January The Milton Keynes find of Roman Coins
The talk describes the finding of a hoard of coins at Milton Keynes in 2006.  The speaker, who is also a television presenter, will explain how the inscriptions on the coins were deciphered and the political messages they carry.		 Brett Thorn
7 February The Concept of Pain
A thoughtful but certainly not depressing investigation into human reactions to pain.  The speaker presents his subject in a humorous and highly interactive way and invites questions from the audience.		 Dr. Tony Maisey
28 February Family Research Worldwide: A Personal Discovery
The speaker, a former committee member of the Olney Archaeological Society, is about to publish a book on her own family history and describes her experiences while conducting the background research.		 Maggie Boxer
6 March Buckingham Old Gaol and its Prisoners
The speaker, a local historian, will tell the story of the prison which was built in 1748 in a prominent position in the centre of the town, its assorted inmates, and how it now serves as a fascinating local museum.		 Edward Grimsdale
20 March Recent Archaeology at Stowe and its Coaching Inn
The talk will focus on recent work at Stowe, featuring the research and recording of a 1717 coaching inn located near the new visitor centre.		 Gary Marshall
3 April The Battle of Kadesh: 1275BC
The story of the clash between Rameses II of Egypt and the Hittite Empire in central Syria.  The speaker will use images from Egyptian temples and other sources to illustrate the diplomatic actions of the warring nations.		 Ray Aspen
17 April Roman Libya and North Africa
An illustrated historical tour of some of the well preserved sites in North Africa which demonstrate the power and wealth of the Roman Empire at its height.		 Linda Amas and
Ann Burrows
1 May Something Egyptian!
This entertaining and expert speaker returns to the Society again to introduce another topic from the ancient Egyptian empire.		 Ruth Thomas
15 May St. Dunstan’s and the Cenotaph
The speaker will use rare sets of original slides to illustrate the history of St. Dunstan’s hostel for servicemen blinded in World War I and the erection of the Cenotaph memorial in Whitehall.		 Kevin Varty
12 June Summer Tea
19 June AGM followed by Summer Celebration
4 September Northamptonshire Murders and Mysteries
Intriguing tales to ponder as the autumn nights draw in…		 Kevin Varty
18 September In Search of the “Ravenstone Princess”
An account of the 1978 excavation of the local Bronze Age Beaker burial at Ravenstone by the Senior Keeper of Archaeology at Hampshire Museum Service.		 David Allen
2 October Famous People of Bedford
The life and times of the town’s best known personalities, including John Bunyan and John Howard, by the Mayor’s Officer for Bedford		 Barry Tappenden
16 October The Discovery of a Medieval Manor
The owner of Prebendal Manor near Oundle talks about the house and the award-winning recreation of its gardens.		 Jane Baile
6 November Christmas Past in Northampton
A seasonal talk with perhaps some ideas for your own forthcoming celebrations		 Ruth Thomas
20 November Wrest Park
The speaker from English Heritage describes the recent restoration of the magnificent gardens and the new visitor centre		 Lisa Owens
4 December Historic Churches of Northamptonshire
A tour of some of the best loved and lesser known architectural gems in the county		 Douglas Goddard
18 December “Elizabeth, Tudor Housewife”
The speaker dons period costume and uses historic artefacts to describe the daily life of the gentry and their servants around 1552.		 Mrs. D. E. Legge
2013
8 January “Diary of a Village: Turvey” Alan Richardson
22 January The Adventures of Prince Rupert of the Rhine
A lively account of the life of Charles 1st ‘s nephew, who was by turns soldier, admiral and scientist between 1619 and 1682.		 Chris Rowe
5 February Medieval Villages of Milton Keynes
The speaker, a former Blue Badge guide, reveals the older aspects of Britain’s newest city.		 Helen Jones
19 February A Grand Canyon Adventure
A journey through the history of the American West		 Derek Batten
5 March Bellerophon, Prince of Lycia
The tale of the mythological Greek hero who slayed the fire-breathing monster Chimera in a region of modern Turkey which still has eternal fires.		 Ray Aspden
19 March Deene Park
A talk about the house and its owners since 1514, the Brudenell family, whose ancestors include the Earl of Cardigan of Light Brigade fame.
 Mark Ellwood
9 April Roman Town Planning
A grand tour of the Roman Empire and its cities, ending up in Verulamium, by a former head of education at the Museum of London.		 Geoffrey Toms
23 April “Life with my father, Eric Morecambe”
Humorous anecdotes about growing up in Harpenden with one of Britain’s best-loved comedians		 Gail Stuart
7 May People, Towns and Villas in the Roman Nene Valley Prof. Stephen Upex
21 May The History of Medicine
Dr. Maisey returns by popular demand to give another of his entertaining and thought-provoking talks about medical progress.		 Dr. Tony Maisey

(later meetings in 2013 not listed – sorry!)

2014

7th January
Kevin Varty
Hubble, Bubble, Toil and Thrapston – The Northamptonshire Witches
The speaker has appeared frequently in the Society’s programme and never fails to delight his audience with his curious talks, which are always scholarly and full of humour.

21st January
John Perkins
The Story of the Home of Olney Heritage
The speaker, a local solicitor, is a former Chairman of the North Bucks Decorative and Fine Arts Society and has been closely involved in the development of the Cowper and Newton Museum for many years.

4th February
Stephen Young
Whitehall Roman Villa
The story of the ten-year programme of excavations of a 3rd-4th century villa and bath houses a few miles north of Towcester and the finds which were made.  The work was completed in 2012 and the site in-filled and returned to pasture.

18th February
John Terry
A Living Countryside – the work of the Countryside Restoration Trust
The charity has been promoting wildlife-friendly farming practices for over 20 years and is involved in the management over 1500 sites across the UK.  The speaker is based at their head office in Cambridgeshire.

11th March
Gary Marshall
Archaeology and the National Trust – Buildings and Landscapes
The lecturer is a professional archaeologist with the National Trust and will provide an insight into the policies and priorities of the Trust in managing its huge and varied portfolio.

18th March
Ray Aspden
In the Steps of Hernando Cortez
The speaker is an inveterate traveller and a regular visitor to the Society, speaking in his highly knowledgeable and witty style on various aspects of historic civilizations.  This time the subject is the conquistador who destroyed the Aztec empire and brought Mexico under Spanish control.

1st April
Peter Liddle
The Hallaton Treasure
The lecturer, an archaeologist formerly with the Leicester Museum Service, tells the story of the discovery and subsequent knowledge gleaned from a find of over 5000 Iron Age coins in 2000, the largest hoard ever found in Britain.

15th April
Janice Morris
Church Wall Paintings – Medieval to Modern
The speaker takes a personal tour of some of the best examples of this art form to be found in Northamptonshire and neighbouring counties.

6th May
Ruth Thomas
All the King’s Men – The Court of the Pharaoh Akhenaton
The Chair of the Northampton Ancient Egypt Society gives an authoritative
account of the life and times of this 14th century BC ruler who attempted to make major changes in religious worsh

20th May
Laura Malpas
Secrets and Scandals of Canons Ashby – a romp through 1000 years of history 
The speaker is an archaeologist based at this National Trust property near Daventry.  The house was built by the Dryden family in the Elizabethan era using stone from a demolished abbey on the site and was remodelled in the 18th and 19th centuries.

10th June
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 
followed by
Martin Wilson
Recent Discoveries in Olney’s Medieval Burgage Plots
The speaker is a consultant with Souterrain Archaeological Services, which is based in Olney.  The recent excavation of burgage plots around Cobbs Gardens has yielded valuable information and a rare insight into medieval life in Olney.

9th September
Jill Eyers
Turkish Delight
Dr. Eyers is a regular and popular speaker at the Society with a wide knowledge of palaeontology and archaeology. This talk covers the geology and rich remains of Anatolia.

23rd September
Denise Allen
Travelling through history with Andante
A wide-ranging tour by the Head of Archaeology of this well-respected travel company.   Dr. Allen is a specialist in Roman glass and classical civilisations and a Deputy Director of Andante, which was founded by archaeologists.

7th October
Richard Coles
Servant of Two Masters: priest in church and secular employment
Well known as the presenter of Radio 4’s Saturday Live programme, the Rev. Richard Coles was born in Northampton and educated at Wellingborough School.  He now reconciles a career in TV and radio with duties as the parish priest at Finedon.

21st October
Peter Scott
The Rose and its History
A talk on the botanical development of this iconic plant, its symbolic use in mythology and Christianity, and in art and architecture, given by a professional historian and member of the Historic Rose Group of the Royal National Rose Society responsible for exhibits at Chelsea and Hampton Court.

4th November
Malcolm Deacon
The pre-Roman Iron Age and the Jurassic Way
Exploring the ancient route across Northamptonshire and beyond. The head of Park Lane Publishing – a specialist local history publisher – lectures on many diverse subjects from across the county.

18th November
Derek Batten
Women of the Wild West
A keen traveller with a particular interest in the history of North America examines the legends and realities of some of the well known female pioneers.

2nd December
Emily Evans
The Trowel through the Ages
A local archaeologist from Olney explains the advances in technology used in field archaeology over the years.

16th December
Kevin Varty
Joined at the Hippo: Flanders and Swann
A popular and humorous speaker at the Society covers the life and career of the famous music hall comedy duo for our last talk before Christmas.