John Avery
I offer a range of heritage talks using computer enhanced presentations with a high quality ViewSonic projector. Normally the talks are within a 20 mile radius of Southampton but occasionally extend elsewhere.
Presentations to City of Southampton Society, City in Bloom Southampton, Southampton Parks and Commons Protection Society, Friends of Southampton Old Cemetery, Southampton Local History Forum, Hampshire Industrial Archeaology Society, Club Hampshire, Isle of Wight Family History Society, West End Local History Society, Ford Park Cemetery Trust [Plymouth], Post Card Collectors' Club Plymouth, World Ship Society [Plymouth branch], Friends of Southampton's Museums, Archives and Galleries, Dynamo Club Chilworth, Exeter Local History Society, Crediton and District Local History Society, Devon Family History Society [Plymouth], Hampshire Genealogical Society [Brockenhurst, Southampton and Fareham], Shanklin and District History Society,WI groups, Friends of Eastleigh Museum, Eastleigh and District Local History Society, Botley and Curdridge Local History Society, Liphook U3A, church groups, Hamble ValleyProbus, Rhinefields Probus, Friends of RSH Hospital Chapel, scout groups and various clubs in Winchester, Hedge End and the Southampton area..
The Cable Ships of Turnchapel The story of the setting up of a base in 1921 when the birth of the Irish Free State meant that British Admiralty cable ships had to relocate from Queenstown to the UK mainland. Commercial Cable also decided to base itself at Turnchapel a village on an inlet of Plymouth Sound. In the WWII the cable ships lifted Italian cables to sabotage the Axis war effort not forgetting that U-boats avoided one or two of the ageing cable ships working without any destroyer escort in the Atlantic thinking they were "honey traps".
Flying Enterprise and the tug Turmoil At the end of 1951 severe storms caused great damage to the British coast and caused several ships to be damaged. The US freighter Flying Enterprise began to split in two and sent out a Mayday. The British tug Turmoil already engaged in a rescue first had to head to Falmouth to deliver her casualty and then head back out into the Atlantic for the Flying Enterprise. With the help of Pathe newsreel footage the rescue attempt is vividly portrayed. But why were so many US naval ships dashing to the scene? Why were the crew of the rescue tug questioned by Special Branch? A tale of great bravery, seamanship and intrigue.
Benny Hill comedy actor Sarah Siddons tragedy actress
Dust on their Shoes A glimpse at a few well known and less well known persons associated with Southampton either born in the town, died in the town or merely passing through. A couple of infamous ones as well with a few bits of their careers or inventions and even crimes.
A Walk in a Victorian Cemetery Following the history of the old cemetery by The Common, Southampton we follow the conservation work of FoSOC the friends of the cemetery exploring the great variety of wild flowers and butterflies now found in the cemetery. A taste of history, a sample of Victorian craftsmanship and a glimpse at the shipwrecks, disease and accidents facing Victorian society intermixed with the ecology.
Funeral Traditions and Victorian Cemeteries The Victorian celebration of death meant strict protocol on dress and social behavior. Jet jewellery became a national must have after the death of Prince Albert to match the Queen's long self enforced period of mourning. The tram conductors in Glasgow had a black silk ringlet sewn onto their uniforms, this practice only ended recently when the cost concerned council queried the extravegance. Then a quick tour around some of the Victorian cemeteries with their giant imposing tombs.
Royal Blue Express coach
Transport from Yesteryear Starting off with a visit to the Milestones Transport Museum near Basingstoke we pick up several buses and coaches in preservation, glimpse a few historic aircraft vying for the Schneider trophy then visit a few famous ships including the attempts to save the Customs Cruiser Vigilant.
A wreck off Hartland Point North Devon
Shipwrecks and Maritime Disasters Looking at a variety of marine disasters from Titanic to the Torrey Canyon to the Napolli, in some cases using Pathe newsreel in support.
cable-ship Mackay-Bennett
Titanic Links Using the White Star liner Titanic as the baseline but exploring other ships associated with the incident and the recovery of the living by the Carpathia and some of the dead by the Mackay-Bennett. Checking out facts and myths associated with the event.
Bruce Ismay
Titanic's People Taking an insight into some of the facts about officers and crew and some of the passengers both wealthy and poor.
Thetis later renamed Thunderbolt
The Thetis Widows A few weeks before the outbreak of WWII, the new submarine Thetis was on sea trials and failed to surface after a dive. Men could be heard hammering from inside the hull but rescuers failed to get them out. One hundred men perished. The Admiralty tried to lessen the situation on its official report. The widows fought hard to gain compensation but justice was not their result. One survivor had the harrowing job months later of trying to identify the decomposing bodies left in the water filled tomb.
Plymouth Breakwater
The Building of Plymouth Breakwater The naval base at Plymouth with its Royal Dockyard faced a large disadvantage in that the sailed powered warships found it difficult to find safe anchorage in Plymouth Sound. Often frigates would head around to Torbay for safer shelter with ships crews and passengers transported back by carriages. The solution? To build a huge breakwater [or mole] across the Sound. An enormous task, changing the landscape of Plymouth and its environs as millions of tons of limestone and granite were quarried. The breakwater took more than 40 years to complete, the Victorians had a model of it made of silver to show a fine example of craftsmanship of the era at the Great Exhibition.
The RSH Hospital Chapel
Chapels in Southampton A look at a selected chapels and churches In Southampton, including St Julien the French Church in Winkle Street and the hospital chapel at the Royal South Hants Hospital.
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