TALKS AND EVENTS
Scheduled Talks for 2026
Monday 9th February 2026 (pm)
BILLERICAY LADIES PROBUS CLUB
Shenfield
Subject, Snatched from Essex
Thursday 12th February 2026 (ev)
Great Bentley History Society
Great Bentley
Subject Buffalo Bill’s Wild West
with David Dunford
Monday 1st March 2026 (ev)
Benfleet & District Historical Society
Benfleet
Subject, Galleywood Races
with David Dunford
Saturday 7th March ay 2.00 pm
Southend Libraries
The Forum, Southend,
Elmer Square, Southend-on-Sea,
Essex, SS1 1NS
Subject The Struggle to Build Southend’s First Pier
Poster and extra publicity to follow
Watch this space
Wednesday 11th March 2026 (pm)
U3A Thundersley
Benfleet
Subject, 366 Days in Essex
Thursday 12th March 2026 (pm)
MNO Ladies Club
Eastwood
Subject, 366 Days in Essex
Wednesday 18th March 2026 (am)
Blackwater Probus
Heybridge
Subject, Snatched from Essex
Friday 27th March 2026 (ev)
The Harwich Society
Harwich
The Tunnel That Never Was
Friday 24th April 2026 (ev)
The Hedingham History Group
Hedingham Baptist Church,
177 Swan Street, Sible Hedingham,
CO9 3PX
Subject, 366 Days in Essex
(Poster to follow)
Monday 27th April 2026 (pm)
Redbridge Pensioners Forum
Fulwell Cross Library, Barkingside
Subject, Buffalo Bill’s Wild West
with David Dunford
Tuesday 7th July 2026 (Pm)
Charren Women’s Club
Chadwell Heath
Subject The Struggle to Build Southend’s First Pier
Wednesday 8th July (pm)
Rayleigh Ladies Probus
Rayleigh
Subject The Struggle to Build Southend’s First Pier
*TALKING ESSEX
* Local History Books * Interesting Essex Photographs * Video Shorts and so much more.
From Harwich to Waltham Abbey, from the River Lea to Purfleet and Upminster to Southend-on-Sea and all in between, including the parts of Essex now in London.
Talks and booking. For further details, e-mail ask@essex100.com or
telephone 01702 557828 www.essex100.com
For a list of topics see our entry on Public Speakers Corner
Andrew Summers | Public Speakers in the UK (publicspeakerscorner.co.uk)
Some of our talks details below
NEW TALK RELEASED
The Struggle to Build Southend’s First Pier
The Struggle to Build Southend’s First Pier is based on a book written by Marion Pearce and published by Essex Hundred Publications. Southend’s world famous pier is nearly 200 years old and is reputed to be the longest pleasure pier in the world. Over its life span the pier has suffered several fires, severe damage from ships crashing into it and come close to being scrapped on more than one occasion on the grounds of cost by the local authority. As the title implies getting the pier built was no easy task very much like any major building project throughout the ages. Marion Pearce, the author spent years researching the subject and putting a fascinating story together.
The talk covers the first 40 years of a remarkable story. Powerful businessmen and landowners repeatedly clashed over the location of the pier. The prospect of the imposition of tolls in an area that covered three miles either side of the pier led to repeated vandalism and violence and where local magistrates were unable or simply unwilling to enforce the law.
The talk is fully illustrated and includes two embedded video shorts.
Talks and bookings. For further details, e-mail ask@essex100.com or
telephone 01702 557828 www.essex100.com
For a list of topics see our entry on Public Speakers Corner
Andrew Summers | Public Speakers in the UK (publicspeakerscorner.co.uk)
A Popular Talk
The Riddle of Boudica
The Roman occupation of Britain lasted over 350 years. In AD 60, seventeen years after the Romans arrived, Queen Boudica led an uprising which resulted in the destruction of Colchester, London and St Albans. The rebellion was short lived and resulted in a harsh crackdown.
Yet in later years Roman rule was interrupted by several uprisings and incursions by the ‘natives’. In AD 185 part of the occupying Roman Army mutinied and 100 years later the Roman Commander Marcus Aurelius Carausius proclaimed himself Emperor of an independent Britain. Yet, in turn, the insurrections were supressed, the mutiny put down, the usurper overthrown and Roman rule returned to more or less normal.
Yet, despite of all the upheavals in the British Isles during Rome’s long tenure, it is only Boudica who is especially remembered.
This illustrated talk explores the ‘facts’ of Boudicca’s rebellion so far as it is known and examines the resultant Heritage, Legacy and Mythology grown up around it.
Talks. For further details, e-mail ask@essex100.com or
telephone 01702 557828 www.essex100.com
For a list of topics see our entry on Public Speakers Corner
Andrew Summers | Public Speakers in the UK (publicspeakerscorner.co.uk)
POETS’ CORNER
(an interactive illustrated talk see poster below)
Talks and bookings. For further details, e-mail ask@essex100.com or
telephone 01702 557828 www.essex100.com
For a list of topics see our entry on Public Speakers Corner
Andrew Summers | Public Speakers in the UK (publicspeakerscorner.co.uk)
| Essex Hundred Publications. Books, written, designed and printed in Essex. Available from bookshops nearby, book wholesalers, direct from the publisher or online. www.essex100.com |