Speakers
Our speaker on the 12th March 2025 will be John Duns, co-owner and business development director of publishing business NET, which is based in the North East. It owns North East Times Magazine, Bdaily - a digital news website - and also runs events for business people. John is also an enthusiastic long-term member of the Literary & Philosophical Society of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. He will tell us a little about the general history and activities of the Lit & Phil but will deal in particular with the Society's Library at 23 Westgate Road, a splendid building whose 200th anniversary falls in 2025.
9th October 2024 - Christopher Hunwick, archivist at Alnwick Castle and Syon House gave an illustrated talk on some aspects of the Percys in the Wars of the Roses, tying in with a book recently published by the Duke and with a current exhibition at Alnwick.
22nd May 2024 - Pippa Lines gave an illustrated talk on the Great North Air Ambulance Service, a charity helping to save lives across the North.
13th March 2024 - Dr Lesley Milner FSA who gave an illustrated talk on The After-Life of St Cuthbert.
25th October 2023 - our new Chairman, Ian Grainger, gave a talk titled “George Macaulay Trevelyan – a passion for walking in Northumberland and Italy." The text of his talk is reproduced in the Archive section of our Meetings page.
8th March 2023 - Professor Thomas Otte - Professor of Diplomatic History at the University of East Anglia, - 'Sir Edward Grey (Viscount Grey of Fallodon),'
12th October 2022 - Christopher Dorman O'Gowan - His time in the Forces, Northumberland and at the Criminal Bar.
9th March 2022 Philip Benham - 'Robert Stevenson - From Willington Quay to Westminster Abbey'
13th October 2021 - HHJ Ian Graham - "The MPs for Berwick upon Tweed 1885-1973'
4th March 2020 - Sally O'Neill - Deputy Treasurer to Her Majesty the Queen.
27th November 2019 - David Watt
2nd October 2019 - Bill Muir - Quizzes on radio and television.
19th June 2019 - Simon Sefton - The London School of Economics.
13th March 2019 - Udo Marggraf - The World Bank.
10th October 2018 - Tim Bittlestone - Surprising Career Changes.
13th June 2018 Ian Cooper - International Travels.
7th March 2018. Professor Peter Styles. "Climate Change and Energy".
11th October 2017. David Boll on the life of Robert Surtees.
7th June 2017, HHJ Ian Graham, "Sir Edward Grey".
15th March 2017, Steve Hails, "The Thames Tideway Tunnel".
5th October 2017, Clive Osborne, "The Other Newcastle".
8th June 2016, Mark Skilbeck on the topic of the Yetholm Common Riding.
9th March 2016, The Rt Hon. Lord Shipley of Gosforth OBE
14th October 2015, Dean of Chelmsford the Very Reverend Nicholas Hensall, Dean of Chelmsford ,”Tales of a Scotswood Road Vicar”
10th June 2015, AGM John Wheatley “The Stephenson’s”
Guest Night 4th March 2015, Rt Hon Sir Alan Beith MP “ Life of the MP for Berwick Upon Tweed”
8th October 2014,Her Honour Judge Deborah Taylor, “Music in Prisons”
11th June 2014, AGM,John Entwisle,Reuters
Guest Night 12th March 2014, Vice Admiral Sir Neville Purvis KCB, “Vice Admiral Lord Collingwood”
16th October 2013, David Watt “Claw Hammer Coats, Newcastle Central O.S. Maps”
Ladies Night 5th April 2013, Colonel John Kimmins, “The Queens Messengers”
12th December 2012, Ian Johnson “Experiences in Indonesia”
3rd October 2012, David Boll, “Wartime Evacuation”
Ladies Night 16 March 2012, Michael Robson,” High Speed Rail in Europe”
Ladies Night 18 March 2011, Dr Gordon Thomas
Ladies Night 15 January 2010, Desmond Fitzpatrick
Ladies Night 9th January 2009, Laurence Sherman
10th December 2008, Colin Hindmarch "Biodiversity on Europe's far-flung outposts"
8th October 2008, David Barclay
9th April 2008, Mark Skilbeck
Ladies Night 11th January 2008, Eric Phillips
12th December 2007, David Watt
10th October 2007, Rt Hon Alan Beith MP
11th April 2007, Ian Johnson
7th February 2007, Trevor Hindson
Ladies Night 12th, January 2007, Sir Derek Wanless
13th December 2006, David Boll
8th February 2006, Chris Emmerson, “Selling Plastics to Hong Kong”
Ladies Night 13th January 2006, Gerald Clark
Ladies Night 14th January 2005, Dr Nicholas Wright
6th October 2004, Arthur Bell, “A Journey Through Texas”
Ladies Night 16th January 2004, John Entwisle Ladies Night
Ladies Night17th January 2003, Bill Peters, “Antarctica”
2nd July 2003, Chris Dean, “Bewick”
20th February 2002, David Boll, “Japan Old and New”
21st March 2001, Derek Williams, “The Genius of Hadrian”
3rd October 2001, Michael Robson,” Railtrack the last year”
31st January 2001, R.L.Stewart, “Being a School Governor in the 21st Century”
Ladies Night 12th January 2001, David Boll,” A Childs Life in Northumbria”
7th December 2000, Bill Peters,” Living a Quiet Retired Life”
22nd March 2000 R.L.Stewart, “Changes in the Duties of Being a School Governor”
8th December 1999, Bill Bradbeer,” Genetically Modified Food”
6th October 1999, Chris Dean,” England’s Navigable Waterways”
7th July 1999, Derek Beattie, “Chile”
24th March 1999, George Hepburn, “The Northumberland Fund”
3rd February 1999, John Entwisle, “History of Reuters”
Ladies Night 22nd January 1999, Lord Walton of Detchant,
30th May 1998, 25th, Anniversary Dinner in Alnwick, Alan Willey