We meet for Illustrated Talks on the last Monday of the month in the Bridport United Church Hall at:
2:30 pm September – November and January – April.
This is just a taster of what we do, if you would like more information contact our Membership Secretary
Talk: Keeping You Safe At No Extra Cost To The Taxpayer - June 1st, 2026 2:30pm
Bridport United Church Hall Speaker Judy Clarke, NCI Lyme Bay
Judy joined the National Coastwatch Institution charity in 2010, she was the Secretary 2014-2019 and has been Station Manager since 2019.
She will speak about the NCI, NCI Lyme Bay and the satellite station NCI Charmouth.
Please note that the meeting is not on the usual last Monday of the month due to the Bank Holiday.
Visit to Swanage Railway & the Etches Collection - June 8th, 2026 9:05am
Swanage & Kimmeridge
We will travel by coach to the train station at Swanage to board the train for a short trip to Corfe Castle where we will re-join our coach for a drive to Kimmeridge.
There will be the opportunity to lunch in the local Clavell’s Restaurant. (They have suggested that you might like to pre-order your meal to help them. Visit www.clavellsrestaurant.co.uk to see the menu). Or you may prefer to bring a packed lunch.
Kimmeridge is a small village but a short walk towards the sea will take you to Dorset Wildlife Trust’s Fine Foundation Wild Seas Centre with interactive displays, aquaria and shop.
After lunch we will visit the Etches Collection, Museum of Jurassic Marine Life, where, amongst many other fossils, the world famous Pliosaur skull is on display (as featured on the ‘Attenborough and the Giant Sea Monster’ documentary which is still available to watch on BBC iPlayer).
We will start with a talk and a question and answer session with Steve Etches himself and then we will be able to visit the museum and hopefully also see Big Sara, the newest and largest addition to The Etches Collection’s fossil family. Big Sara is an Allosaurus skeleton, cousin of the T-Rex, and top of the dinosaur food chain during the Kimmeridgian period.
Returning from Kimmeridge at approximately 4.00 pm
Charges and booking details are in the April 2026 Newsletter.
The Natural Beauty of Dorset - September 28th, 2026 2:30pm
Bridport United Church Hall Speaker Colin Varndell - Dorset based Natural History Photographer
We welcome back Colin, best known for his evocative images of animals, birds, insects, wild flowers and landscapes. He is sure to be a popular speaker so come early to ensure a seat.
Quirky Bridport - October 26th, 2026 2:30pm
Bridport United Church Hall Speaker Chris Stevens, Outreach speaker for Bridport Museum
Chris has been a speaker for Bridport Museum since 2022. ‘Quirky Bridport’ is a fascinating book, developed by a volunteer for the Museum, a range of unique, strange, funny and sometimes scary stories about Bridport and its people. Chris will be sharing some of these stories.
Social: Quiz and Fish/Chicken ‘n’ Chip Lunch - November 18th, 2026 11:30am
W.I. Hall, North Street, Bridport
Come along and stimulate the grey cells with an interesting but not-too-controversial quiz, with prizes to be won for top scoring table and a small booby prize for the lowest scoring table. This year our Quiz Master is Kathy Hince.
The quiz is divided into two with lunch plus coffee/tea and mints at half time.
Come on your own or with friends, everyone is welcome for a fun sociable event. Even if you are alone, you are guaranteed to meet someone for a chat since all the tables are made up of three or four people.
Places are limited so book early and not later than Thursday 20th November 2025.
Rewilding Wild Woodbury - November 30th, 2026 2:30pm
Bridport United Church Hall Speaker Daisy Meadowcroft
Wild Woodbury is Dorset Wildlife Trust’s pioneer community rewilding project located in the heart of Bere Regis. Acquired in 2021, the site has seen biodiversity and bio-abundance flourish across the site with species such as the tree pipit, dingy mocha moth and silver-studded blue butterfly now calling it home. Thanks to natural processes led management through extensive grazing Wild Woodbury is now a haven for people and wildlife.
Dorset & Somerset Air Ambulance - January 25th, 2027 2:30pm
Bridport United Church Hall Speaker TBA
TBA
Parish Life in the Dorset Victorian Workhouse - February 22nd, 2027 2:30pm
Bridport United Church Hall Speaker Luke Mouland, Chair of the Board of Trustees at Sherborne Museum
The Victorian workhouse still evokes powerful images of fear and hardship but was it really so dire? This talk draws on stories from a number of Dorset’s workhouses to illustrate what daily life was like for inmates and shows how the very design of the workhouse was intended to discourage the needy from seeking refuge within.
Luke is a freelance genealogist, researcher and speaker based in North Dorset. During the last 15 years he has undertaken research projects for a range of clients, including probate solicitors, authors, and the BBC’s hit TV series ‘Who Do You Think You Are?’
AGM - March 22nd, 2027 2:30pm
Bridport United Church Hall Speaker TBA
Please note that this is not the last Monday of the month due to the Bank Holiday.
Pirates – the Origins and Truth - April 26th, 2027 2:30pm
Bridport United Church Hall Speaker Richard Hutley
The swashbuckling heroes and villains of Hollywood. But what is the truth about Piracy over the past 1000 years, the origins of such as we understand it and its relevance to today.
Richard joined Dorset Police in 1984, retiring in 2015 as a Police Inspector, after a varied and colourful career.
Merton’s Dream Garden: The Story of the Russell-Cotes Garden - June 7th, 2027 2:30pm
Bridport United Church Hall Speaker Phil Broomfield
Phil has been Lead Garden Volunteer at the Russell-Cotes Art Gallery & Museum in Bournemouth since 2020. His talk will cover the original design and layout of this cliff-top garden and how it has evolved, highlighting key features, with a spotlight on plants and showcasing how it looks through the seasons.
Please note that this is not the last Monday of the month due to the Bank Holiday.
