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 | The History of the Woodland Trust Smithills Estate. | This talk will cover stories from the estate, such as: Two Lads Monument - leading to the archeological dig The Winter Hill Murder Lost Cottages - stories from the moorland miners cottages Love Stories and Emigration Finishing with the History Research Group and their book 'Lives and times of Smithhills Estate'. The book will be on sale for £25 ( cash only). |
| 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.