Home Programme & News Contacts Village Trail About Lambley Galleries Publications

CONTACT US / JOIN US / LINKS / COPYRIGHT / PRIVACY

2026 Programme & News

January & February meetings will be at 2.30 at the Woodborough Institute Hall.
All other meetings will be at 7.30 at Lowdham WI Hall. and are followed by tea or coffee afterwards. New members and guests always welcome.


Jan 26   AGM and Social Meeting
2.30 at the Woodborough Institute Hall.


Feb 23 Gary Stevenson “You were here”
Nottinghamshire maps

This will be a presentation of a geographical survey through time from 1500 to 1900 of maps of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire (including Lambley), but there will be some actual maps to look at too. 
2.30 at the Woodborough Institute Hall.


Mar 23  Tom Andrews – Captain Athelstan Popkess, the Greatest Policeman

Could it be possible that one man is responsible for the transition of British policing from its Victorian era beat model, to the modern responsive, mobile era? If there is such a candidate, that man would be Capt Athelstan Popkess, chief constable for Nottingham City police for nearly thirty years, who oversaw the introduction of police cars, police radios, forensic science, and the burglar alarm, among much else.


Apr 27  David Longford – Framework Knitting and the Celebration of May Day

Susan Russell and David Longford will present an illustrated talk about their work at the Framework Knitters Museum in Ruddington, alongside the wider history of framework knitting and its role in the unique celebrations of May Day. This includes Lambley's very own Cowslip Sunday.


May 12  Guided tour of Ruddington Framework Knitters Museum

Following David’s talk, he will take us to discover how framework knitters and their families lived and worked there in Victorian times, telling the 400 year history of framework knitting, from its role in the Industrial Revolution to the infamous Luddite riots of the 1800s, and how framework knitting gave birth to the Nottingham lace industry.


June 09  Guided walk round Southwell

Members of Southwell Local History Society will take us round Southwell looking at all the major historical points.


July 07  Guided tour of the Walks of Life Museum, Tuxford

Our guide will show us round The Walks of Life Museum which is home to a unique collection of hand-pushed vehicles collected by the late Dorothy Harrison, and many other items. Afterwards, there is also an option to visit the Museum of the Horse, just a short walk away.


Sep 28  Graham Hayes – the Da Vinci inventions

Leonardo Da Vinci was one of the most amazing men that ever lived. His fields of interest included Painting, Sculpting, Architecture, Music, Anatomy, Geology, Cartography, Botany, Writing and Inventing. Although he was accomplished at all these things, it is mainly his inventions Graham will talk about at this meeting


Oct 26 Chris Weir – Lace, Slums & the Occasional Riot! The Making of Old Nottingham

 This talk explores the character of Victorian Nottingham, highlighting hosiery and lace, the delights of Goose Fair, the impact of T.C. Hine and other notable architects and the struggles of the labouring classes.


Nov 23  Keith Small – The History of Tobacco and Its Effect on Nottinghamshire

This talk follows the discovery of tobacco for Europe, with claims of its medicinal value, the rapid development of tobacco products as socially accepted habit and the effects of the two World Wars on the tobacco market. As a focus point, John Players family history in Nottingham working up to ITL's Horizon Factory becoming the only UK manufacturer of tobacco products, followed by the total loss of the industry to European manufacturers and the growth of substitute products.