Autumn Potpourri of Social History Talks Series
This all series ticket covers all three talks in the Autumn “Potpourri of Social History” talks series, for the discounted price of £12.50 (members £10.00). You may also book each talk individually – see each separate event page. All three talks are on Thursdays at 2pm and last about an hour. Afterwards there will be time for questions and discussion. This is an online talks series using Zoom.
Thursday 22 October “Signs of the Times: Reading’s Memorials“: 2-3.15pm with Malcolm Summers
The stories behind Reading’s memorials bring the people and events of Reading’s past to life. This talk will describe aspects of the town’s history by considering some of its, often not well known, plaques, statues, and monuments. Even the better-known memorials have secrets to yield in the tales of their origins.
Thursday 26 November “A Timeline of Thames Valley History”: 2-3.15pm with Jim Donahue
This talk explains the layers of history that are around us, but not commonly known. Our speaker is Jim Donahue, author and prize-winning photographer of the book “The Thames Valley: Past, Present and Future”. The Thames Valley has played a surprisingly important role in the development of the British Isles as a whole. Jim’s stories range from evidence of some of England’s earliest prehistoric ancestors – to battles between Wessex’s King Arthur and the Vikings – right up to the present day, featuring the rock stars, film studios and high-tech industry that now make their home in the region.
Thursday 10 December “Victorians at Christmas”: 2-3.15pm with Dr Richard Marks
Step back into the world of carols, crackers, and candlelight as we explore how the Victorians shaped the Christmas we know today. From Dickens’s A Christmas Carol to the first Christmas cards, decorated trees, and lavish festive feasts, this talk uncovers the traditions, innovations, and social changes that transformed a modest winter holiday into the season of celebration. Drawing on vivid stories and surprising details, it reveals how Victorian enterprise, literature, and family life gave birth to many of the customs we still cherish — and how Christmas became both a cultural phenomenon and a commercial success.
Zoom Talk Requirements
To join these talks, you will need a computer device with speakers. Ideally, also a webcam and microphone. You also need to be able to access the internet from it. First-time users of Zoom, will need to download a small piece of software – included in the link.
How to Book
Pre-booking is required because places are limited. Full joining instructions will be emailed to attendees in advance. Bookings close one day before the first event.
To book – scroll down.
- Thu 22 Oct 2026
Tickets
- £12.50
Category
Organiser
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The Family Research Centre
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Email
booking@berksfhs.org.uk -
Website
https://berksfhs.org/branches/
Speakers
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Dr Richard MarksIndustrial, Military and Railway HistorianRichard is a published historian based in Berkshire who specialises in industrial, military, and railway history and also the history of science. His current areas of research are industrial development in the Victorian period, the development of the railway and canal systems in Britain in the mid to late 19th Century and the history of British Rail. He has a PhD in economic history. Richard’s books on British Rail Engineering and the Wantage Tramway Company were both published by Pen and Sword in 2024.
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Malcolm SummersMalcolm Summers is a retired maths teacher and Deputy Head. Originally from Birmingham, he has lived in Reading for forty years, and is married with two grown up children. He has written three books on aspects of the history of Greyfriars Church in Reading, the most recent published by the Berkshire Record Society. In 2019, Two Rivers Press published his book “Signs of the Times: Reading’s Memorials”. Malcolm has also written biographies 0n: “Henry George Willink” (after whom the school in Burghfield Common is named), “Nicolas Appert”, the French inventor of the process of preserving food by canning (and who is also his wife’s great great great great grandfather) and the lawyer, dramatist, writer and orator, Sir Thomas Noon Talfourd. His latest publication is on the history of Reading’s Dispensary Trust.
Malcolm has been a member of Greyfriars Church since 1981, and is currently its PCC secretary. He is a member of the History of Reading Society and treasurer of Kisiizi Partners, a UK Charity that supports a Hospital and community in south west Uganda.
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Jim DonahueAuthor and PhotographerJim Donahue was the winner of the British Life Photography Award and is author of a number of photography-based books on Thames Valley communities including “The Thames Valley: Past, Present and Future” and “A Portrait of Henley-on-Thames”.
Originally from America, he has lived and worked in different parts of the Thames Valley for over 25 years, giving him both a fresh perspective on life in England and an insider’s knowledge of the area. His keen interest in understanding what makes England tick can also explain why he has served as a local councillor in Oxfordshire for over 10 years.