Meetings are held at Walton village hall on the first Wednesday morning of each month
except August. The talk is scheduled to start at 10am, although the hall is open from 9.30am.
In 2025 the first talk will be on 15 January. The fee for each talk will be £3 and all members
of Phoenix are welcome. Refreshments will be served after the talk for 40p. There is plenty of time to enjoy refreshments and a chat after the talk.
.

Wednesday 15 January. Ann Featherstone will be making a welcome return with a talk Fools
and Horses: The Victorian Circus. The talk provides a fascinating insight into the history of
the Victorian Circus and the men and women who rode, tumbled and clowned there.
Wednesday 5 February. Danny Wells also makes a welcome return with a presentation on The
Victorian Way of Death. Death was ever present in nineteenth century Britain. The subject is
not as morbid as it may sound; this illustrated talk offers a fascinating glimpse into Victorian
attitudes to death.
Wednesday 5 March. Trevor James will talk about Celtic Saints. The talk examines
connections between Wales, Cornwall and Britanny during the Dark Ages.
Wednesday 2 April. John Butterworth makes a welcome return with his talk about Editing the
UK’s Fourth Oldest Weekly Newspaper. A talk about the fascinating history of the
Shrewsbury Chronicle, where John was editor for 12 years. John will talk about some of the
eccentric stories and advertisements in the paper which started in 1772.
Wednesday 7 May. Rearranged from Novemebr 2024. Nick Seager will talk about Daniel
Defoe and the Politics of Queen Anne’s England. An account of Defoe’s political writings
and espionage work in the reign of Queen Anne. It deals with religious toleration, the Anglo-
Scottish Union, Jacobitism and the War of the Spanish Succession. Was Defoe unprincipled
and mercenery?
Wednesday 4 June. Carl Dudley will talk about Crossing the Railway in Staffordshire –
Pitfalls, Problems and Disasters. Some railway accidents and incidents in Staffordshire have
highlighted the dangers and resulted in new national safety measures.
Wednesday 2 July. Philip Morgan will talk about Staffordshire at War. Stafford was founded
as a religious settlement, but was quickly co-opted for the needs of war. From the Vikings to
the Cold War and beyond, Stafford might be seen as a military town.
Wednesday 3 September. Barbara Andrew makes a welcome return as a speaker. She will
talk about Women before the war: the national and local picture in 1914. Barbara has a series
of talks about the role of women both before and during the war. The talk looks at women in
both public and private life both nationally and in Stoke-on Trent in particular.
Wednesday 1 October. Peter Collinge also makes a welcome return. He will talk about
Inheritance and Family Enterprise: The Wildeys of Lichfield. Peter gives a range of talks on
the social and economic history of the late C18th and C19th centuries. The talk will provide a
local example of family business enterprise during the first half of the C19th.
Wednesday 5 November. Steve Booth has been a regular speaker at Phoenix. He will talk
about The Potteries Blitz. Stoke-on-Trent was bombed by the Germans from August 1940
until February 1941.
Wednesday 3 December. To be arranged.

HISTORY GROUP OUTING 6th August 2025

MUSEUM OF MAKING, DERBY & GREAT CENTRAL RAILWAY STEAM TRAIN WITH
ON-BOARD CREAM TEA: WEDNESDAY 6 th AUGUST 2025
Our executive coach takes us from our usual pickups to the Award-winning Museum of
Making in Derby arriving soon after 10.00 hrs. Located in the Old Silk Mill, which many
regard as the oldest factory in the world, the museum features the 300-year history of
making in Derby. There are lifts between floors. There are a wide range of displays covering
the past present and future, with displays from Derby manufacturers, including Rolls Royce
Aerospace, Toyota and many more – and there are fun interactive areas! The Museum has a
superb new restaurant, which sources all its food from local farmers and butchers, and even
the coffee is locally roasted! The delightful seating area is by the riverbank with outdoor
seating if the weather allows. We leave at 13.30 so there should be plenty of time to have a
snack or more substantial meal if you wish.
Our coach then takes us to Loughborough Central Station on Great Central Railway. We
arrive an hour before travelling, so there is time for a short visit to the railway museum, or
to look around the time-capsule station much used by film and TV – and the vintage tea
room and bar will be open if you prefer! We then have a return journey of the full length of
the line, 45 minutes each way, with a Cream Tea served on board as we travel.
This is one of the UK’s top heritage railways, with one of the best collections of working
express engines. It is the only Heritage Railway in Europe based on a former main line –
which once went from Sheffield and Manchester to London. The railway is double track
throughout, and the heritage steam-hauled train we travel on is allowed to travel faster than
other UK Heritage lines, so you can experience your delightful cream tea on-board a
heritage express train! The station has a lift from street level to the platform and good
quality walking surfaces throughout.
After our return to Loughborough Central station, our coach brings us back to Stafford, for
the drop-offs in reverse order.
The cost, including coach, gratuity, entry to The Museum of Making, Railway Ticket with
Cream Tea and entry to the Railway Museum is just £48.
Please note the pick up times (slightly different from usual) are:
Wildwood 08.30, Lynton Ave 08.40 and Rising Brook 08.55.
Please send booking forms and cheques payable to SWPAC OUTINGS to David Barker, 23
Bridle Road, Stafford ST17 0QD (Tel 01785 662463)
BY FRIDAY 23 MAY. Early booking is recommended.