Come to a Talk
All talks take place on Tuesdays at Walton Village Hall, Green Gore Lane, Milford ST17 0LD and begin at 2.30pm. Admission for members of the centre is £4.00, visitors £4.50.
There is no need to pay in advance for our talks, you can simply pay at the door on the day. However, it will help us if you book in advance to advise us that you are coming, using the Talk Booking Form on the button below. If you do, we will give you a personal reminder that you have booked by email a couple of days before.
Select image to display talk details and book a place
2026 Talks Programme
Bravo November - 9th June
A Talk by Jess Boydon-Jukes
Images courtesy of RAF Museum.
Bravo November is one of the original 30 Chinooks ordered by the RAF for its heavy lifting capability.
In 1982, it was enroute to the Falklands on the Atlantic Conveyor container ship which was struck by Exocet missiles, destroying the vessel along with its cargo. Bravo November was on an airborne task at the time and managed to land on HMS Hermes, gaining the nickname The Survivor. It was the only serviceable heavy lift helicopter available to British forces involved in the hostilities. Bravo November remained in service for the rest of the campaign, helping deliver victory through carrying out essential tasks, moving troops, supplies, casualties, and prisoners of war. Its significant contribution was a testament to the skill of the aircrew.
It was in service until 2022, was upgraded several times in its history and saw action in every major operation involving the RAF in the helicopter’s 39-year service life. Since 1982 it served in the Falkland Islands, Lebanon, Germany, Northern Ireland, Iraq and Afghanistan.
Jess will tell us about the history of this aircraft and the exploits of its aircrew – three of its pilots were awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross for actions whilst in command of Bravo November.
Bravo November is now on public display in the RAF Museum Midlands at Cosford.
The Staffordshire Film Archive - 12th May
A Presentation by Ray Johnson MBE
Ray Johnson founded the Staffordshire Film Archive in 1980 and has been developing it ever since. Alongside thousands of original archive films are many hours of complementary material generated by Ray to inform and enhance the films; interviews, relevant audio/visual materials and complete documentary video productions – several broadcast on television here and abroad.
The collection footage of the industrial background and social history of the Staffordshire area. Included in the collection is rural footage from around the County and footage of many of the local trades once found in the locality. Ray will be showing a series of film and video clips of many of these with a particular emphasis on the Stafford area.
52nd Annual General Meeting - 14th April
Followed by an Update on Shugborough
As usual there will be a report from the Chair on the year’s activities and the Treasurer’s report, followed by the election of the committee and our donation to Shugborough from last year’s fund-raising.
We’re looking forward to some volunteers to join the committee or to help us to organise events, so watch out for the nomination forms with the March news bulletin.
After this there will be an update on the Shugborough Estate by Hayley Mival in which we will hear about some of the longer-term plans for some of the more familiar features of the estate.
The Park Farm buildings (and the watermill), the arboretum, the servant quarters and the southern walled garden.
Non-members of the Centre are welcome to attend the AGM but they are not able to vote in the elections to the committee.
Admission to this meeting is free.
Stories Of Shugborough - 10th March
A Talk by Keith Alldritt
Apart from being a member of the Staffordshire Centre, Keith is a volunteer at Shugborough and will tell the stories behind the paintings in the smallest, most visited space in the mansion – The Veranda Passage – but also the most overlooked. Learn about an audacious horse racing gamble, capturing a treasure ship, the difficulties of being the Post Master General, and famous visitors.
See why the watercolours – recently conserved thanks to funding from Staffordshire Centre – are important to show the history and development of the estate, especially in the 1700s, including Thomas Anson’s most impressive structure which no longer exists!
Sweet Soul Music - 10th February
A Talk by Nigel Holmes
This talk, with musical interludes, takes its title from Arthur Conley’s 1967 song of that name, where he pays homage to the blues and soul artists of that era; Lou Rawls, Sam and Dave, Wilson Pickett, Otis Redding and James Brown.
However, the story didn’t stop there; let’s not forget the likes of Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and many more. In the UK, rare Tamla Motown records along with imported recordings from little known US artists, formed the basis of the Northern Soul movement.
So, “if you like good music”, then we feel sure that you’ll enjoy this talk.
The Art of Origami - 13th January
A Talk by Edward Holmes
Edward first gave a talk on this subject in June 2023, where those attending, were invited to fold Shuzo Fujimoto’s ‘2-Stage Colour Change Hydrangea’.
For the benefit of those of you that may have missed his first talk, he will give you a quick recap on the origins and applications of origami, before teaching you three traditional models.
Many people associate origami with the ‘Crane’; an international symbol of peace, however, for beginners it’s quite a difficult model to fold. With this in mind, Edward has chosen to teach a ‘Cup’, ‘Swan’ and ‘Butterfly’, introducing new folding techniques with each model.
So, even if you haven’t done any origami before, come along to this session, for an introduction to the ancient art of paper folding.
2025 Talks Programme
Idioms And Expressions - 9th December
A Talk by Steve Williams
This event is now closed
I didn’t know how to describe this talk but, in the end, I decided to bite the bullet, get my act together and get something down in black and white. Don’t want to steal Steve’s thunder by letting the cat out of the bag but I only get to do this once in a blue moon and it’s not going to cost me an arm and a leg.
Who thought of all these expressions, and where do they come from?
Perhaps I’m barking up the wrong tree and you should take everything I say with a pinch of salt. The best thing you could do is turn up at Walton Village Hall on December 9th, let Steve Williams tell you himself and get it straight from the horse’s mouth.
Famous Folk of Staffordshire - 11th November
A Talk by Kath Reynolds
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This is a talk by the always entertaining Kath Reynolds . The talks Kath presents are a reflection of her interest in people and in social history – usually within living memory. She is a collector and sharer of stories. This will be about some famous sons and daughters of Staffordshire.
James Brindley was the subject of a previous talk a few years ago. Some, such as Robert Peel, the former Prime Minister and founder of the British police force, you may have heard of but won’t be sure of the Staffordshire connection. Others, John Currie perhaps? You might think you’ve heard of – but he wasn’t a skater.
Still more – Mary Blagg, Fanny Deakin, for example, may be a complete mystery to you. Come along and listen to Kath reveal all.
Life Aboard The Jam Butty - 14th October
A Talk by Wild Side Preserves
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A Preserver’s Year. This talk is delivered by Helen and Andy and covers preserve making, foraging, their life on the canals and the story behind The Jam Butty & Wild Side Preserves.
Wild Side is a business born from an enthusiasm for cooking, boating, waterways and hedgerows. It is run by Helen Tidy who was keen to combine her love of cooking with husband Andy’s enthusiasm for narrow-boating. Noticing that the towpath hedgerows were an overflowing larder of wild food, Helen began to experiment with making homemade preserves. Wild Side Handmade Preserves is the end result of these labours.
The business is called Wild Side, reflecting the foraged aspect of the ingredients, they are probably better known as The Jam Butty on account of the 27ft engineless boat that they tow behind their main narrowboat.
Every Night Something Awful - 9th September
A Talk by Dean Nixon
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The Entertainments National Service Association (ENSA) was an organisation established in 1939 by Basil Dean and Leslie Henson to provide entertainment for British armed forces personnel during World War II.
ENSA was the world’s largest ever entertainment organisation that included Gracie Fields, George Formby, Tommy Trinder, Noel Coward and Joyce Grenfell to name but a few. Despite many extremely talented entertainers working for ENSA, the organisation was necessarily spread thin over the vast area it had to cover. Thus, many entertainments were substandard, and the popular translation of the acronym ENSA was “Every Night Something Awful”.
This is a talk looking at how ENSA and other war-time organisations raised our morale in the dark years of 1939-1945.
As Churchill said to ENSA performers: “Your job is to sing while the guns are blazing.”
Staffordshire Gems - 12th August
A Talk by Ruth Williams
A whistle-stop tour of the county from north to south, stopping to look at some interesting places along the way some of which you will definitely recognise but others you may not be familiar with.
We commence our tour at The Roaches that iconic outcrop of gritstone and pause at Tittesworth reservoir, Mow Cop and Ilam making our way through a couple of villages to Cheadle and Pugin’s Gem.
A few miles from Cheadle is Tean with some interesting buildings. Through Alton, Croxden and Uttoxeter to look at the Conduit.
Did you know that we have the largest floating peat bog in Britain and where it is situated?
Looking east we see Tutbury and the Fauld Crater not far away.
Our county town is briefly featured as are one or two nearby villages.
Cannock Chase cannot be overlooked as it is an area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Lichfield, Tamworth, Brewood and Enville all have sites to be explored and we conclude our Staffordshire visit at Blore Heath, site of one of the battles of the Wars of the Roses.
The Man Who Never Was - 8th July
A Talk by Andy French
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Andrew French will reveal the truth about Operation Mincemeat, the secret operation intended to deceive the Germans and allow allied troops to return to mainland Europe during WW2.
Discover the true story of this attempt to trick Nazi Germany into weakening Sicily’s defences in 1943, by making them think that the invasion was going to be in Greece. They used a dead man with fake papers, bringing about the phrase “The Man Who Never Was”.
However, the talk develops into a possible government cover up and conspiracy that still holds firm today. Original documents from 1943 are used to prove what really happened, turning this piece of history into a “personal one” – it has a direct French family connection.
Unpicking The Thread - 10th June
A Talk by Shaun Farrelly
This event is now closed
We are all so familiar with sewing machines that we probably cannot imagine a time when all sewing and dressmaking and tailoring was done by hand. The invention of the sewing machine changed all that and heralded the age of the clothing industry as we now know it.
Whether you’re a sewing enthusiast, a history buff, or just curious about how things work, this engaging talk will have you hooked. Who really invented the sewing machine?
Join us to find out – you might just be surprised!