MHHS Programme Notes 2025 / 26

September 10
Derek Blunt: ‘That’s Unusual’ - unusual buildings, quirks and eccentricities throughout Northamptonshire
Derek is knowledgeable about Northamptonshire towns and villages, churches, big houses, saints and sinners, stars and scandals.

October 8
Helen Sharp: The Re-creation of the Hallaton Helmet
Helen is the Archaeology curator at Leicestershire museums and recently arranged for two re-creations of the Hallaton helmet which are in the Harborough Museum. Two different methods of workmanship were used and one of the re-creations was made in Italy. The Historical society contributed to this work. Helen will talk about the helmet, its details special characteristics and the work involved in getting the recreations made.

November 12
Denis Kenyon: War Memorials in other lands & the meaning behind them
For our Remembrancetide meeting our member Denis Kenyon, who has done much work to preserve the war memorials of Leicestershire and has studied the topic in detail, will give a wide ranging talk on war memorials. He will compare the British approach with that of France, Germany, Poland, America, and Russia.

December 10
Kev Dopson: The History of Desborough Airfield
Desborough Airfield is five miles from Market Harborough; it is actually in the parishes of Wilbarston and  Stoke Albany. This is an opportunity to hear about the vital part the area played in the night time bombing campaign of the Second World War. It is fitting that in this 80th anniversary year of VE day we should remember, the often-overlooked, aircrew of RAF Bomber Command. The presentation covers the development of the airfield and living accommodation, the activities that took place there, accidents that occurred and subsequent uses since the war. 

2026

January 14
Rosalind Willatts: ‘Six Cheeses for Cromwell’ The Story of Launde Abbey
Rosalind who has visited the Abbey many times over the last 36 years and worked on its archives, will tell the story of Launde abbey from its beginnings in 1219 as a Priory through the turbulent years of the Reformation and it ownership by Thomas Cromwell and his son Gregory; then after 4 centuries as a private house its return to the church as a retreat and study centre.  The  present house including the chapel incorporates some of the ancient priory  as well as many changes by its various owners.

February 11
Len Holden: The Influence of Transport on five Market Towns of Leicestershire
Len will trace the growth of five market towns of Leicestershire from medieval times to the 19th century - Market Harborough, Ashby de-la- Zouch, Melton Mowbray, Hinckley and Lutterworth. This comparative study examines the influence of turnpikes, canals, railways and the carrier trade on these towns.

March 11
David Holmes: Joseph Bazalgette, ‘The Great Stink’ and the Rebuilding of London
The early summer of 1858 was hot and dry. The river Thames had become a giant sewer; the stench was so bad that Members of Parliament could not work. They were galvanised to pass an Act ‘to drastically improve drainage of the metropolis’, the Act taking only 18 days from introduction to becoming law. Joseph Bazalgette, the city engineer, was entrusted to design and implement a revolutionary solution.  The scale of the work was vast and changed the architectural appearance of London, introduced the underground railway system and had a major effect on public health. The talk reviews the background to the problem and how the project was undertaken and completed.

April 8
Bill Lockerbie: Lamport Hall the history of the hall and gardens
Bill is a volunteer at Lamport Hall and has become very knowledgeable in its history and life.  He will talk to us about the hall and its gardens, their  history and development.  It was here that the first garden gnomes in England were brought from Germany – but more of that in his talk.

May 13
Dudley Brown: Market Harborough and the Railways
Market Harborough and its surrounding areas may well be considered an historical microcosm of the nation's railways. Leicestershire was an early adopter of the new technology and Harborough, effectively straddling the border of Northamptonshire soon became a busy railway crossroads. Dudley, a keen student of transport history, will examine the significance of our local railway infrastructure by describing its rise and subsequent fall to near demise, thence modern regeneration. 

June 10
Outing: - to be announced.