Past Meetings
The Society meets at the Ipswich Citadel, Salvation Army, 558 Woodbridge Road, Ipswich IP4 4PH at 7.30 p.m. (doors open from 7.00). Free car parking & refreshments available. Non-members always welcome.
The Committee reserve the right to amend the programme due to non-availability of the presenter/s. Please always check our website or facebook page for up-to-date details of events.
Time: 19:30 hours (doors open at 19:00 hours)
Admission: Members: £2-50 Non-members: £4
(includes refreshments)
Further Information: Chairman: Sylvia Kerridge Tel: 01473 424904
e-mail: chairman at IDHTS
Secretary: David Kerridge Tel: 01473 424904
e-mail: secretary at IDHTS
Ipswich & District Historical Transport Society 2025/26 Meetings
Apr 29th: R.A.F. Bawdsey Radar "The Eyes of the Few" Presented by Graham Murchie. The presentation covers a brief history of early radar, the events leading up to the development of a viable system and the establishment of the world’s first operational radar station at Bawdsey. It focuses on the people involved with a very brief mention of the technology. It concludes with a short summary of how Bawdsey was used during and post WWII Image from the Presenter.
The Society meets at the Ipswich Citadel, Salvation Army, 558 Woodbridge Road, Ipswich IP4 4PH at 7.30 p.m. (doors open from 7.00). Free car parking available & refreshments. Entrance fee £2.50. (Non-members £4.00) Non-members are always welcome. *The Committee reserves the right to amend the programme due to non-availability of the presenter/s. Please always check our Facebook page for up-to-date details of events.
May 27th: Boat building in Ipswich by Chris Turland-, Chris will give an illustrated presentation charting the history and evolution of shipbuilding in and around Ipswich dock and the many shipyards which flourished there, from the first recorded build in 1295 through to the present day. Image from the Presenter. This is a change to the originally advertised 2026 Programme
We then take our summer break and return for our AGM & the start of our autumn season presentations. This meeting will be on Wednesday September 23rd, 2026. Further details of our autumn 2026 and the Spring 2027 programmes on this page from Mid-August 2026.
*The Committee reserve the right to amend the programme due to non-availability of the presenter/s. Please always check our Facebook page for up-to-date details of events.
The Ipswich & District Historical Transport Society’s next meeting is on Wednesday 25th March is ‘The History of Colne Valley Railway’ by Paul Lemon (Chairman of CVR). Paul will be presenting on the history of The Colne Valley Railway which is a heritage steam & diesel railway in Essex near Sible Hedingham, Castle Hedingham & Halstead. As well as train rides on the full-size railway, they also have a 7¼ gauge miniature railway and a large model railway. Additionally, they host one of the few publicly accessible signal boxes across the country. Please come along and find out more about one of our nearer Heritage Railways. Image from CVR websit
The Ipswich & District Historical Transport Society’s next meeting is on Wednesday 25th February is ‘Shipwrecks around East Anglia’- presented by Andy Beharrell. After Andy’s very informative & entertaining presentation last season on the Maunsell Towers, we are pleased to welcome him back for our 1st meeting of 2026. The waters around the east coast of England have been important commercial routes for many centuries. They have seen a rapid growth in trade, wars and various disputes. Wartime, inclement weather and accidents have meant that many lives have been lost on the ships which have plied their trade on these waters. In this presentation we will look at the hidden history revealed by the various shipwrecks around our East Anglian coast. These shipwrecks can tell us about trade in roman times, the brutal history of the Anglo-Dutch wars and the devastation of World War II. Even more modern times have taken their toll on the ships and barges navigating the coast, look closely under the water and you can even find the carcasses of pirate radio stations, their turntables long silent. This presentation will reveal a fraction of the history which our sandbanks and mudflats hide. Image supplied by A Beharrell.
The Ipswich & District Historical Transport Society’s next meeting is on Wednesday November 26th: The presentation is on ‘The History of Mid Suffolk Light Railway’-Speaker to be confirmed. The Mid Suffolk Light Railway is Suffolk’s only standard gauge heritage railway, offering steam open days and events throughout the year. The presenter will update the audience on their past and recent history on the ‘Middy’, including the recent extension of the line as a part of this incredible project, the construction of the destination station, ‘Aspall Halt’. Picture of ’Sir Berkeley" supplied by Mid Suffolk Light Railway.
The Ipswich & District Historical Transport Society’s next meeting is on Wednesday October 29th: The presentation is on ‘The Life of an Auctioneer’ (Classic Cars and Motorcycles related), presented by Edward Crichton from Lacy Scott & Knight auctioneers in Bury St Edmunds. In June 2021 saw Edward involved in the first scheduled auction of what has now become an annual event. Last year’s sale was based around a single owner of five cars and numerous motorcycles, which were discovered during a probate valuation in deepest Norfolk. We are sure that this fascinating talk of how an auction is organised and carried out will be of interest to many of our members and any visitors that would like to attend.
The Picture is from the Lacy Scott & Knight website of an example the Classic car & Motorcycle sale from the 1st auction held in 2021. The 1934 Alvis Firefly Tourer with Cross & Ellis coachwork was sold for £32,000. The first owner was supplied by Bambers of Southport, Lancs. Full detailed and documented restoration in 1974. The AFY 850 is featured in “Alvis Firefly Twelve” by Simon Fisher.
After our Summer break our next meeting is on Sep 24th, 2025: There will be a short Annual General Meeting followed by the Presentation: ‘Submarine accidents’ by Peter Briggs: Peter’s presentation starts with the first disaster attributed to be a submarine disaster in 1774. It looks at the submarine development timeline through the ages of the pioneers of submarine builders, to the start of the modern era of submarine design between 1900 and 1920 when submarine development continued at pace. Then on to the pre-nuclear age and how submarine accident investigation led to better safety equipment being developed, this is put into perspective by looking at two disasters one in the US and one of our own submarines in Liverpool Bay in 1939. The nuclear age of submarines started in 1954 with the launch of USS Nautilus. Peter will give details of these disasters, two US and seven either Russian or Soviet submarines. He will finish with a look at some of RN 'near misses' both nuclear and non-nuclear.
The Society eets at the Ipswich Citadel, Salvation Army, 558 Woodbridge Road, Ipswich IP4 4PH at 7.30 p.m. (doors open from 7.00). Free car parking available & refreshments. Entrance fee £2.50. (Non-members £4.00) Non-members are always welcome.
Picture Provided by Peter Briggs- (Astute Class Submarine)
