Events

Our monthly talks are open to all members (and invited guests by prior arrangement only) and cover a balanced programme of topics within an overall maritime theme.

Talks are held at The Athenaeum, 18 Church Alley, Liverpool L1 3DD, usually on the third Thursday of each month from September through to May at 12.30pm, with refreshments available from midday.  Unless advised otherwise, members do not need to indicate attendance in advance, and can simply turn up on the day.  Members who wish to invite guests must notify us at contactliverpoolmaritime@gmail.com at least 24 hours in advance.  The calendar of events is as follows:

Oct
5
Thu
2023
‘The Loss of the SS Atlantic’ by Bob Chaulk
Oct 5 @ 12:30

Bob Chaulk is making a special visit to Liverpool from Nova Scotia, Canada, where he is actively involved in preserving the story of the loss of the SS Atlantic in 1873.  The White Star Line’s first, but not last, major shipping disaster.

Oct
19
Thu
2023
‘Wise and Foolish Builders ’ by Jim Bellew
Oct 19 @ 12:30

A serious comparison of the work of naval architects compared with the work of their land-based brethren, with a bit of whimsey thrown in!  Jim Bellew is a former Blue Funnel engineer whose subsequent career was in the marine supply industry.

Nov
16
Thu
2023
‘The Call of the High Canvas’ by Susan Hanley-Place
Nov 16 @ 12:30

The story of how hundreds of Merseysiders, of all ages and backgrounds, rebuilt and re-rigged the brigantine Zebu, and how the experience changed their lives and enhanced their communities.

Dec
14
Thu
2023
‘The Bluebird K7 Story’ by Keith Hick
Dec 14 @ 12:30

This talk reviews the world water speed records of the 1920/30s, and details the exploits of Donald Campbell in the 1950/60s, before looking at the recovery of Bluebird from the bed of Coniston Water and its return to the water in 2018.

Jan
18
Thu
2024
‘The Story of the Manxman Updated’ by Bill Ogle
Jan 18 @ 12:30

Bill Ogle served as chairman of the charitable trust that sought to restore the former IOMSPC’s RMS Manxman.  The talk will outline her long and multi-role career and include a unique video of her life and times.  Bill will also give some insight into another Manxman.

Feb
15
Thu
2024
‘Sink the Tirpitz’ by Glyn Evans
Feb 15 @ 12:30

This is  the story of ‘Operation TITLE’,  the audacious plan to sink the German battleship Tirpitz while she lay in a Norwegian fjord, using two-man torpedoes known as ‘chariots’.

Mar
21
Thu
2024
‘Pirates, Privateers, Corsairs and Buccaneers’ by Alison Telfer
Mar 21 @ 12:30

A look at the rise and fall of piracy, focussing on the ‘Golden Age’, its global impact and the role of the Royal Navy then and now.  We will examine the causes of piracy, some key 17th/18th Century figures, and their influence on modern understanding.

Apr
18
Thu
2024
‘Shipping Architecture In Liverpool’ by Iain Jackson
Apr 18 @ 12:30

Details to be confirmed.

May
16
Thu
2024
‘Nautical Terms Used in Everyday Language’ by Peter Swarbrick
May 16 @ 12:30

Nautical expressions pepper our everyday language.  Peter Swarbrick, a retired journalist and experienced sailor, will speak about the origin and meanings of some of the nautical phrases still in use today.

Please note that this talk will follow the Annual General Meeting.