Medway Archives Centre Spring Lecture Series 2025
FOMA are delighted to announce that the annual lecture series is once again to go ahead this year as follows.
Tickets MUST be booked in advance to avoid disappointment; they are not sold on the door.
Tickets are £4 each or £20 for the whole series and can be purchased at the Medway Archives Centre, 32 Bryant Road, Strood, ME2 3EP (Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, Saturday 9am to 12.30pm; Sunday closed). Email: archives@medway.gov.uk; telephone: 01634 332714.
Philandering Pearces - Rebecca Clarke - Wednesday, 5 February, 2pm - 3.30pm
The first lecture explores the life and times of Sir William Pearce, his wife Lady Dinah Pearce, and their son Sir William George Pearce. Born at Brompton in 1833, Sir William trained as a shipwright and naval architect at Chatham Dockyard. He supervised the construction of HMS Achilles, the first ironclad warship built at Chatham, before moving to Scotland. Rebecca Clarke’s talk also discusses aspects of Sir William's private life, including the mystery of his illegitimate sons, affairs in Victorian times, and the quest to have him remembered as an honourable man.
Theatre Royal, Chatham: Medway's Most Prestigious Theatre - Robert Hall - Wednesday, 5 March, 2pm - 3.30pm
Chatham’s Theatre Royal has an impressive history, and an important place in the collective memory of Medway people. Robert Hall’s talk will showcase items from the theatre’s archive and will relate the ups and downs of what was once the South East’s biggest theatre.
The Medway Forts - Keith Gulvin - Wednesday, 2 April, 2pm - 3.30pm
Keith Gulvin's talk explores the reasons for fortifying the Thames and Medway estuaries, and also looks at the various phases of construction, including scientific advances. The talk highlights the significance of Medway in England's history and considers what remains of the forts today.
Borstal: From Building Forts to Building up Young Men - Ralph Allison - Wednesday, 7 May, 2pm - 3.30pm
Ralph Allison looks at the 150-year history of a prison that has had many different roles, including the housing of labourers employed in the building of defensive fortifications. The prison also started a self-titled system of youth justice which spread across the country and around the world.
The Explosive Works at Cliffe: Cordite, Nitroglycerine and The Flying Archaeologist - Amanda J Thomas - Wednesday, 4 June, 2pm - 3.30pm
Amanda Thomas’s talk explores the history of the Cliffe explosives works during the early twentieth century. Notorious for its many fatal and grisly accidents, the factory employed a great number of local women during World War One, including Amanda's grandmother. In 2013, English Heritage published an archaeological survey and analysis of the remains of the Curtis and Harvey works, to which Amanda and her mother Dulcie contributed. Amanda later appeared on BBC 4's Flying Archaeologist, to talk about her family’s involvement with the production of explosives at Cliffe.
A Meander along Rochester High Street, Part 2 - Geoff Ettridge - Wednesday, 2 July, 2pm - 3.30pm
For over 10 years Geoff has used tours and rambles to tell something of our past, and to raise money for good causes. In this talk Geoff draws from his various tours to make connections with places along Rochester High Street and our local and national past. Geoff gave the first part of this popular talk in 2024, and in Part 2 he continues his meander along Rochester High Street.
It’s easy to become a member of the Friends of Medway Archives. Annual individual membership is £12, and Life Membership is £120; you can even pay online at foma-lsc.org/membership.php