Newcomen Society - Branch meetings (Birmingham, Bristol, Southampton, Manchester, Newcastle and Scotland)

The Newcomen Society
for the study of the history of engineering and technology

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Branch Meetings

Programme of evening meetings

Birmingham
Manchester
Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Portsmouth
Bristol
Edinburgh / Glasgow

(Meetings resume in October)

Birmingham (Midland) Branch

Meetings are held on the first Wednesday of the month in the Thinktank Theatre, which is on level 2 in Thinktank, the Birmingham Science Museum at Millennium Point, Curzon Street, Birmingham 4 (the entrance to the car park is from the north or Jennens Road side of the site). Doors open at 6.30pm for the meetings at 7pm. There is a pay-bar with snacks and drinks available in the building before the meeting. Visitors are welcome and admission is free with, from 5.30pm, a small charge for parking on site.

1/10/2008	The Tale of the Toilet by Terry Woolliscroft (Twyford Bathrooms).
5/11/2008	John Penn & Sons – Marine Engineers of Greenwich by Richard Hartree (Member).
3/12/2008	Acid Towers and the Control of Chemical Pollution 1823-1876 by Peter Reed.
7/01/2009	William Sandys and River Navigation by Dr Peter King (Member).
4/02/2009	Galton’s Mill and its Remarkable Iron Waterwheel by Tim Booth (Midland Wind and Water Mill Society).
4/03/2009	Presidential Address: Days at the Factories by Professor David Perrett.
1/04/2009	Micro Systems Technology (MST) in Medicine by Dr David Hitchings.

Newcastle (North Eastern Branch)

Unless stated otherwise, all meetings will be held in the Learning Room (adjacent to Reception) on the ground floor of Discovery Museum, Blandford Square, Newcastle upon Tyne, starting at 6.00 pm (refreshments at 5.30 pm). Visitors are welcome and admission is free.

30/09/2008	Annual General Meeting followed by: Early Electricity Supply in London by Rev Robin Brooks.
7/10/2008	Visit: Souter Point Lighthouse and Washington “F” Pit Museum
18/11/2008	Presidential Address: Days at the Factories by Professor David Perrett. Followed by a buffet supper for members (book in advance).
20/01/2009	North East Dry Docks by Professor Ian Buxton.
9/02/2009	Joint meeting with ICE Northumbria: The Art of Robert Stephenson - Images of the Man, his Life and his Works by J Michael Taylor. Meeting to be held at Stephenson Works, South Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, starting at 6.15 pm (refreshments at 5.45 pm).
17/03/2009	The Development of Opencast Coal Mining in the UK by David Blythe.

Manchester (North Western Branch)

Unless otherwise stated, meetings are held at the Museum of Science & Industry in Liverpool Road, Manchester and start at 6.30pm. Parking is available on site. Members and guests meet beforehand for a meal at a nearby restaurant from 5pm. Visitors are welcome and admission is free.

30/09/2008	The Canal and Rail Engineering of Camden by Peter Darley.
28/10/2008	Joint meeting with the Institution of Civil Engineers, Manchester Branch: Newcastle High Level Bridge: Investigation and Restoration by Richard Bell (Network Rail). Meeting to be held in the Renold Building.
25/11/2008	Presidential Address: Days at the Factories by Professor David Perrett
27/01/2009	John Harrison and the Marine Chronometer by David Rooney (Royal Observatory).
24/02/2009	Joint meeting with the Institution of Civil Engineers, North Wales and Cheshire Branch: Restoration of the Welsh Highland Railwayoad by John Startin and John Sreeves. NB Meeting to be held at the Ramada Hotel, Whitchurch Road, Christleton, Chester, at 6.30pm.
31/03/2009	Joint meeting with the Institution of Civil Engineers, Manchester Branch: Underground Manchester by Keith Warrender.

Bristol (Western Branch)

The British Empire & Commonwealth Museum, where we usually meet, is moving to London and cannot take bookings for 2009 onwards, consequently we have decided to move our meetings to a room at the Bristol Aeroplane Welfare Association (BAWA) on the north of Bristol. We will have good facilities in the room, the use of the bar next to the room, and there is ample free parking. A location map will appear in the next edition of Western Courier in September. All meetings commence at 19.30. Visitors are welcome and admission is free.

16/10/2008	At the British Empire & Commonwealth Museum, Bristol: Road Steam Rollers by Douglas Roseaman.
20/11/2008	The Dreadnought Age 1905-20 and Sir Charles Parsons by John Anning (Member).
8/01/2009	Joint meeting with the Bristol Industrial Archaeology Society at Kingswood Council Chamber, Kingswood, Bristol.
19/02/2009	Bells and Bellfounding by Christopher Pickford. At Bristol Aeroplane Welfare Association.
19/03/2009	Turnpikes by Alan Rosevear.
16/04/2009	Avoncliff Industrial Village by Nick McCamley.

Portsmouth (Southern Branch)

Meetings will be held in Room 0.27 in the Portland Building of the University of Portsmouth commencing at 6.30 pm. Portland Building is on St James Street off Queen Street, Portsea. Free parking in adjacent University car parks is available from 4.30pm. Visitors are welcome and admission is free.

21/10/2008	The Railway Navvies by Dr Bob Otter (Member).
18/11/2008	Warships of the Ancient Mediterranean by Alec Tilley.
9/12/2008	"It's amazing how many shapes the neck of a bottle can take" - how a topologist changed the shape of British Computing by Dr David Anderson.
20/01/2009	The History of the Liberty Ships by by Mr David Aris.
17/02/2009	Searching for Trevithick’s London Railway of 1808 by John Liffen (Member).
17/03/2009	Templar and Parlby, Eighteenth Century Engineering and Building Contractors to the Royal Dockyards by Stuart Drabble.
21/04/2009	The Conservation of the Grotto at Ascot Place, Berkshire by Michael Underwood.
19/05/2009	Hampshire Buildings Preservation Trust: Helping to Save our Heritage by Deane Clark.

Edinburgh / Glasgow (Scotland Branch)

Meetings this session will take place at The James Clark Maxwell Foundation, 14 India Street, Edinburgh, at 5.30pm for 6.15pm. Visitors are welcome and admission is free.

29/10/2008	Joint meeting with Panel for Historical Engineering Works: John Scott Russell & the Solitary Wave and John Scott Russell’s anti-vibration proposal for suspension bridge decks by Chris Eilbeck and Roland Paxton.
25/3/2009	Joint meeting with Panel for Historical Engineering Works: The George Bennie Railplane and the Hugh Fraser Airrail Systems of Transport by Malcolm Thwaite.

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