Details of each talk can be found here in the calendar of speakers (just click on the + sign to get the details) or in the newsletter.
Talks start promptly at 2.00pm with most people arriving from 1.30pm onwards.
Tea, coffee and biscuits are provided on conclusion of the talk.
If you are new to the area or looking to join us, please feel free to drop in for a "taster meeting". Make yourself known to the person on the door and they will look after you.
Details are available at these meetings of all our social activities, groups, theatre etc.
See you soon!
Events in September–December 2026
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- The Lynmouth Floods - Act of God or Act of Man? - Pamela Vass
The Lynmouth Floods - Act of God or Act of Man? - Pamela Vass The Lynmouth Floods - Act of God or Act of Man? - Pamela Vass
02-09-2026In the summer of 1952 disaster struck the small fishing village of Lynmouth on the North Devon coast. During one August night flash floods destroyed scores of homes and claimed 34 lives. Many recall suspicions circulating of Government interference with the weather. Fact or fiction?
This talk uncovers the incredible true story that creates the backdrop for Pamela's new novel, "Seeds of Doubt". This multi-media presentation includes information from newly accessible secret documents, book readings, and anecdotes about the research and writing process.
Pamela Vass was drawn to England's West Country over forty years ago to complete a research degree at Exeter University and to her delight discovered a family tree firmly rooted in Devon soil. After an early career with Barnados and two Social Services Departments she spent several years as founder and director of The Woodunnit Company, plotting murder mystery events for public and corporate audiences. She then turned her hand to writing, focusing on research-led storytelling encompassing both fiction, as with Seeds of Doubt, and non-fiction works.
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Tavistock Town Hall Only -
- An Introduction to Tavistock Workhouses - Nicola Gurr DL
An Introduction to Tavistock Workhouses - Nicola Gurr DL An Introduction to Tavistock Workhouses - Nicola Gurr DL
07-10-2026Nicola studied History at University of Edinburgh and a Masters in the History of Medicine at the University of Glasgow. She has maintained her love of history during her working life and during Covid started to research into the Union Workhouse in Tavistock. This research continues, shaping talks on a wide range of aspects of the Workhouse – its life and people who passed through its doors. Nicola is also involved in the walking tours of Tavistock and the project on Bannawell Street. Nicola will give a general introduction to the workhouse; children and the workhouse, families and life after the workhouse, and the staff and volunteers who worked and supported the workhouse.
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Tavistock Town Hall Only -
- The Carved Stones of the Cowsic Valley - Simon Dell MBE
The Carved Stones of the Cowsic Valley - Simon Dell MBE The Carved Stones of the Cowsic Valley - Simon Dell MBE
04-11-2026Simon Dell is a retired Moorland Guide Director with over twenty books to his name, retiring from the police service after 41 years’ service in 2016. He led the volunteer policing teams throughout the Devon and Cornwall area in respect to wildlife crime. Over 30 years of his service was spent at Tavistock Police Station and 17 of these as Community Constable, where, in 1997 he was awarded the MBE for services to the
community and mountain rescue.His off duty interests include 20 years as a member of the Dartmoor Rescue Group and being a Dartmoor National Park Guide. He leads guided walks on Lundy Island and the Pembrokeshire island of Skomer during the puffin season. He is now a prolific writer of books and for magazines, on topics ranging from policing,
Dartmoor Prison, industrial archaeology and Lundy Island.He lives in Tavistock with his wife, daughter, and grandchildren. His spare time is spent mountaineering in the UK, the Alps and the Himalayas. When not found up a mountain he is often found playing in the local town band or with the band of the South Wales Police of which he is a member. He is also now a member of the band of Lodestone Border Morris in Tavistock.
Sermons in Stone – Reverend Bray’s Bardic Boulders
There are many curious and intriguing things to see on Dartmoor. If you stroll from The Two Bridges Hotel along the public footpath which follows the Cowsic River you will go through the delightful woods and reach Beardown Farm Bridge. The public footpath goes over the bridge up past the farm out to the Devonport Leat and onto the moors, but as you reach the bridge in the trees if you look around at the boulders there you might see carvings and dedications to Spencer, Burns, Shakespeare and Milton etc. These are just a few of the carvings within the publicly accessible area. But away from footpaths and access land there is a multitude lying within the private grounds of Beardown Farm, in the woods and fields. They mainly lay unseen for over 100 years and little was known or written about until Simon and grandson Joseph spent their Covid isolations exploring Dartmoor and discovering all of the stones. They recorded them and Simon wrote a paper for the Transactions of the Devonshire Association on these artifacts in 2014. Simon’s talk describes the story of how these stones came to be in the Cowsic valley and the intriguing life of Edward Atkyns Bray – the Vicar of Tavistock.a
Tavistock Town Hall Only