Torquay Museum: Lecture nights at the museum

Why not join the fun and hear interesting facts at the Torquay Museum Society, as it starts its new lecture seasons running from October 2025 to April 2026.

The programme of lectures take place on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, 10.45 till 12.00pm, Pengelly Lecture Hall, at the Torquay Museum, Babbacombe Road, Torquay. (The lecture hall is one of the best in the Bay.) Tea, coffee and biscuits are available for a nominal charge.

We cover varied subjects, open to all, and not just the intellectuals. Some are light-hearted and entertaining. For example, Kevin Dixon, a regular contributor to Torbay News and the TMS Patron, will be giving a talk in the Spring session on the history of Torquay’s public toilets, which should raise a smile or two. (Did you know the first public toilet opened in London in 1850!)

Lectures will start on the 7th October 2025 with the very popular speaker John Risdon on Dartmoor Past and Present. Other subjects in the first of two seasons include; Bats and Ladders, James Bond and the Music of the Bond films, Devon Witches and Cunning Folk, AI, CO2 and You, The Great Exhibition of 1851, Wessex an Ancient Landscape and much more.

Attendees are encouraged to suggest subjects they would like to hear about. Maybe it’s local history, gardening, art related, birds, the RNLI, memories of the son of Winston Churchill’s bodyguard, memories of an actor involved in murder mystery events, etc. There is a very proactive Trustee and Lecture Committee, who endeavour to give what the audiences want.

Our lecturers are professional with a wealth of knowledge. As Hercule Poirot would say, we have to keep our little grey cells working, which helps us to stay healthy.

Torquay Museum Society is amongst the oldest of such groups, started in 1844 in response to the finds being unearthed at Kent’s Cavern. There is a free quarterly Newsletter sent to members, a book club, trips to places of interest such as guided tours of St Andrew’s, Torquay’s oldest Church (and not normally open to the general public), and Oldway Mansion Gardens with an insight into the Singer family, which both took place this summer.

We have other events for the Society in the pipeline, so these are exciting times. One of our new offerings is the formation of an archaeological group free for Society members, led by the Museum’s Clare Howe, an archaeologist by training.

The idea of this group is up for discussion after the lecture on the 14 October at 12pm, the group will decide what they are interested in, eg., Museum artefacts perhaps not on show, helping at a “dig”, or even metal detecting on private land. This is an exciting opportunity.

For this new season, the Society looks forward to welcoming renewal from current members, and welcoming new members, or those who are just interested in a particular talk. The yearly subscription for single membership is £60 per year, £100 for two people residing at the same address.

Entry to lectures for non-members is £5 each lecture attended – but please bear in mind that membership provides free admission to the museum collections throughout the membership year (not available to non-members)

Apart from the benefits of keeping the brain active, there are the other benefits of connection and mixing with others. Especially during Covid and after, it has become very easy to become isolated. TMS is a friendly Society, and it’s easy to have a chat.

Hiding ourselves away is disastrous for our health and happiness. Scientifically we are wired for connection. So why not come and join us. Lecture Programmes are available at the Museum and Torquay and Paignton library – or online at www.torquaymuseum.org/torquay-museum-society.