Events at: Westerham Hall

A Diva on a Harley Davidson

A Talk by Alison Charles Alison Charles’ talk will outline her journey from a shy Essex girl to becoming a Harley Davidson riding, opera singing diva and everything that happened in between. Her time in the military, her work in Africa – this talk covers it all.  This promises to be an interesting story.  

AGM and Talk on General James Wolfe

All Members are invited to the Society’s AGM which will commence at 7.00 pm. The Committee will present reports on the activities in 2019 and plans for the current year.  Members will be invited to comment on the reports and the Committee’s plans for the future.   The AGM will be followed by a talk commencing at 8.00 pm with a presentation by John …

The British Tommy in France and Flanders in WW1

A talk by Roger Stiles about his lifelong interest in our history of the First World War which stemmed from his father’s service with the Queen Victoria Rifles. Over the years Roger has carried out research on a great number of men, with many visits to France and Flanders to trace the footprints of these soldiers who fought in the battles …

The Victorian Railways of Kent

A presentation by Tony Riley on the complex history behind the development of Kent’s railways. Tony Riley has an encyclopaedic knowledge of the topic as well as a great collection of old photographs. We will hear how our regional railway structure was created, especially as it was undertaken with no government funding and even without an overall blueprint. Tracing developments …

The Orpheus Centre

A presentation by Ann Lovelace on the inspiring work of the Orpheus Centre, an independent specialist college in Godstone. The Centre focuses on developing independent skills and confidence of young people between 18 and 25 with learning and/or physical disabilities. The personalised study programmes for students are based on developing skills through performing and visual arts to make dramatic improvements in their lives.

The Magic, Mystery and Madness of Travelling in Latin America

A presentation by Latin America travel specialist David Gilmour.   David’s introduction to Latin America will include past travellers’ tales; Columbus claimed to have seen a mermaid; One of Magellan’s crew caught sight of a giant off the coast of Argentina; Raleigh talked of an encounter with a tribe of headless men in the jungles of South America and more. He …

AGM and Talk on Kent Wildlife Trust & Greensands Commons

We look forward to seeing Members at the AGM to hear reports on the activities during the last year and to learn about the Committee’s plans for 2019. Members will be able to express views and ask questions about the Society’s plans. A presentation by Andrew Willmore, Project Manager of the Sevenoaks Greensand Commons Project.  Andrew will tell us about the Kent …

The Magical Mystery of Houdini

The return of the charismatic Joe Mendell following his much appreciated and humorous talk on The American Presidents in Bits and Pieces.  This time, Joe will tell the story of the greatest magician of his era and with some surprises too. What made him so special? Why was he so good? We will find out on 8th February.

Carriage Driving: The Story

A presentation by Sara Howe, who runs Bradbourne Carriage Driving Centre in Sevenoaks. She has been a top international carriage driver since 2003, representing Great Britain as a team member in 7 World Championships and is a bronze medal winner. This is an opportunity to hear about the history and drama of the sport.

The Mistresses of King Charles II

The talk will cover the many mistresses of the King and how they vied for position and the privileges the position gave them. The speaker is John Halligan, a well known London Guide and Freeman of the City of London. John will also explain how some of the mistresses have links with the aristocracy today.