Outline of Speakers Meeting Dates, Speakers and Topics for 2026
| Date | Speaker | Topic | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7th January | Kevin Fitzpatrick | My Live as a BBC Reporter | The BBC reporter, newsreader, producer and presenter for nearly 20 years tells us about his experiences. |
| 4th February | Jim Meehan | The Barbarous Murder of Wigan Lane | The story of a murder which took place on Wigan Lane in 1840, and the Victorian justice system. |
| 4th March | Paul Isherwood | Child Gambler wins Life Back | 'A 10 yr old boy lured by the magnetic pull of a 4 year gambling addiction, having a lightbulb moment and seeking help. Now well into his 50's, he hasn't gambled since.' |
| 1st April | Babs Hennessy | Thomas Beecham | The story of the 19th century chemist who founded Beechams Pharmaceuticals. |
| 6th May | David Withington | Brilliant Free Google Tools | Join us as we discover a treasure trove of astounding user-friendly Google tools that promise to sprinkle a dash of magic into our daily lives. |
| 3rd June | Frances Raftery | History of Prosthetics | |
| 1st July | Norman Harris | 'Atlantic to Pacific - the story of the Panama Canal' | |
| 5th August | Fran Sandham | Dr Livingstone, I presume? | The real story behind the legendary meeting in Africa in 1871 between the missing explorer Dr David Livingstone and the ambitious journalist Henry Morton Stanley. Why their meeting was such a sensational news story - and why Stanley's four words became the most famous greeting in history. |
| 2nd September | Brian Topping | Tales of a Custom Officer | He will tell of his many years during the 1970's and 80's as a serving Customs Officer in the former HM Customs and Excise, at Heathrow Airport. |
| 7th October | Anna Houghton | Mary’s Meals | This is the story of a charity which started in a shed in Dalmally, Scotland, and became a global charity feeding over 2.4 million children in some of the world's poorest countries. |
| 4th November | Tony Greenwood | Local History. Details TBC | |
| 2nd December | Peter Elson | 'Living in the wrong place; Liverpool Homefront during the World War II Blitz'. |
1st Wednesday of Each Month, at Wigan Sports and Cricket Club, Meeting starts 10:30 am.