Speakers List
Looking for a speaker...? Looking for an audience...? Well, look no further than the Speakers List on the Gloucestershire Local History Association’s website at https://gloshistory.org.uk/. This is a list of around 60 speakers offering talks on a wide range of historical topics, along with their contact details and a note of their fee and travel expenses. The list is free to use, and, for any speaker who wishes to be included, free to join: the website includes a comprehensive note on how to submit an entry.
The list, which is currently maintained by GLHA’s webmaster, Dr Ray Wilson (speakers@gloshistory.org.uk), has been in existence for many years, and before the days of the Internet, it was only issued every three years. Nowadays it is updated two or three times a year, and Ray has recently undertaken a comprehensive update, adding a number of new speakers and asking all existing speakers to confirm that they wish to continue (most do!) and, if necessary, to update their entries. Many of our speakers have added new talks, so even if you are a regular user of the list, do take another look to see what’s new. A further update is planned for the Autumn, so if you’ve heard a good speaker who is not on the list, but who you think might like to join it, please either encourage them to contact us directly or pass their details to Ray so that we can contact them.
Anyone using the list – which we know includes not only local history groups and societies, but many other organisations, such as Probus, Rotary, WI and U3A groups – should be aware that the inclusion of a speaker on the list does not imply any form of recommendation by GLHA. However, we always do our very best to check the suitability of a speaker before they are included, either by hearing them ourselves or by seeking a recommendation from someone who has – and we are always grateful to know if a speaker should fall below reasonable expectation.
And while on the subject of speakers, readers of this Newsletter might be amused by this anonymous article 'Our speaker for tonight' included in the Local History Bulletin for Autumn 1979 https://glosdocs.org.uk/sites/groups/glha/bulletin/glhb40-1979b.pdf
Does anyone, I wonder, know who ‘E. L’. might have been? The only suggestion so far is E. S. Lindley, whose Wotton-under-Edge: Men and Affairs of a Cotswold Town was published in 1962 – but any other suggestions would be gratefully received!