Stapleford History Society

P.G.Wodehouse - "Jeeves and the British Empire"
2026-01-13 19:45 - 21:00 (Europe/London) | Jubilee Pavilion, Gog Magog Way, Stapleford, CB22 5BQ, United Kingdom
A talk by Dr Sean Lang
What ho! How the creator of Jeeves and Bertie Wooster helped bring down the bally British Empire.

This is a historian’s take on PG Wodehouse – a significantly different approach from the usual literary scholar’s way of reading him. Historians often underestimate the importance of light comedy, both as a source and as a factor in causing events in the past. PG Wodehouse’s creations – Jeeves and Bertie Wooster; Lord Emsworth and his pig; the members of the Drones Club and their formidable aunts – exist in an idyllic world which seems miles away from the harsh reality of the times when they were created. But what makes people laugh is a good clue to what they are thinking and Wodehouse’s humour also reflected the outlook and beliefs of his readers – including about the British Empire.
All talks are free to members, or £3 for guests / non-members, payable on the door.

The Stained-Glass Windows of King's College Chapel
2025-12-09 19:30 - 21:00 | Jubilee Pavilion, Gog Magog Way, Stapleford, CB22 5BQ, United Kingdom
A talk by Paul Shakeshaft, who returns by popular request, following his excellent talk last year on the Building of King’s College Chapel.
The glazing of King’s College Chapel was one of the great achievements of the reign of Henry VIII. The talk will set out to illustrate two important aspects of the windows: how the Renaissance transformed the original late Medieval designs and how the Protestant reformers responded to the original Catholic theological programme.
We will be serving Mulled Wine and Mince Pies at 7.30pm, with the talk itself starting at 7.45pm.
All talks are free to members, or £3 for guests / non-members, payable on the door.

Roots and Resilience
2025-10-14 19:45 - 21:00 | Jubilee Pavilion, Gog Magog Way, Stapleford, CB22 5BQ, United Kingdom
“A hundred years of Stapleford farming and reinvention on Heath Farm”
A talk by Charles and Colin Bradford
Join us for a very special evening as father and son, Colin and Charles Bradford, share the remarkable story of Heath Farm and its place in Stapleford’s history.
Colin, now in his eighties and born at Heath Farm, has lived and worked on the land all his life. His memories bring to life more than eighty years of farming in the parish – from the days of horses and hand tools, through wartime food production, to the decline of small farms across Cambridgeshire. Alongside his recollections, Charles will trace the wider story of farming in Stapleford, and explain how he transformed the family’s smallholding into The Gog, the award-winning farm shop and café that has become a local landmark.
Told as a conversation between father and son, this talk combines personal anecdotes with village history, giving both long-standing residents and newcomers an insight into how farming shaped Stapleford – and how one family has adapted, endured, and reimagined its future.
All talks are free to members, or £3 for guests / non-members, payable on the door.

History of Chivers Jam Factory
2025-07-08 19:45 - 21:00 | Jubilee Pavilion, Gog Magog Way, Stapleford, CB22 5BQ, United Kingdom
A talk by Eleanor Whitehead, local historian.
This meeting will also include the society’s Annual General Meeting.
All talks are free to members, or £3 for guests / non-members, payable on the door.

Thoughts from the Courts
2025-05-13 19:45 - 21:00 | Jubilee Pavilion, Gog Magog Way, Stapleford, CB22 5BQ, United Kingdom
Personal reflections on 35 years at the Bar and on the bench in both civil and criminal law. A life lived vicariously with the injured, the incompetent, the falsely accused and some right villains.
A talk by Revd Dr Simon Taylor K.C.
All talks are free to members, or £3 for guests / non-members , payable on the door.

South Cambridgeshire in the Early 17th Century
2025-03-11 19:45 - 21:00 | Jubilee Pavilion, Gog Magog Way, Stapleford, CB22 5BQ, United Kingdom
A time of royal transition from Tudor to Stuart
Between 1600 and 1625 the country went through a remarkable transition, from the last of the Tudor Royals (Queen Elizabeth I) to the first of the Stuart Royals (James I and VI). Some of the most important religious, cultural and governmental changes in our history happened during this time or their foundations were laid. How did this transition impact South Cambridgeshire and more importantly why was South Cambridgeshire at the heart of these changes. David will explore this period in his talk and give some examples of dramatic local impacts.

About the speaker: David Jones
David is a Chartered Accountant by training but an enthusiastic amateur local historian, something he was able to spend more time researching during Covid lock-downs. He has lived in Little Shelford for 25 years having started life in Birmingham and the Black Country.
His interest in this particular period of South Cambridgeshire history was fired by the discovery of a unique bell in the belfry at All Saints Little Shelford, and that led to a whole series of discoveries and links which David has found fascinating. These discoveries will form the core of his presentation.
All talks are free to members, or £3 for guests / non-members , payable on the door.

Leah Manning - A Life for Children
2025-01-14 19:45 - 21:00 | Jubilee Pavilion, Gog Magog Way, Stapleford, CB22 5BQ, United Kingdom
Leah Manning
One of the first female Labour MPs, a campaigner for impoverished children in Cambridge and saviour of nearly 4000 young people fleeing the Spanish Civil War.
A talk by Mike Levy, Cambridge author and Holocaust educator.
All talks are free to members, or £3 for guests / non-members, payable on the door.

The Building of Kings College Chapel
2024-12-10 19:45 - 21:00 | Jubilee Pavilion, Gog Magog Way, Stapleford, CB22 5BQ, United Kingdom
How this iconic Cambridge landmark came to be.
A talk by Paul Shakeshaft, Affiliated Lecturer in the University of Cambridge Department of History of Art, and Director of Studies at Hughes Hall.
THIS TALK WILL INCLUDE A FESTIVE DRINK AND MINCE PIES!
All talks are free to members, or £3 for guests / non-members , payable on the door.

British India
2024-10-08 19:45 - 21:00 | Jubilee Pavilion, Gog Magog Way, Stapleford, CB22 5BQ, United Kingdom
How British rule changed India – and changed the British
A talk by Dr Sean Lang, Senior Lecturer in History at Anglia Ruskin University.
All talks are free to members, or £3 for guests / non-members , payable on the door.

"From Little Acorns" - A History of ARM
2024-07-09 19:45 - 21:00 | Jubilee Pavilion, Gog Magog Way, Stapleford, CB22 5BQ, United Kingdom
A History of ARM.
Once referred to as “The Crown Jewels” of the UK’s successful high tech industry, ARM grew from small beginnings in Cambridge to be a global company whose microchip designs feature ubiquitously in most smartphones and other devices. Where did it begin, and how did it happen?
John Biggs, one of the co-founders of Arm Ltd, will give a brief history of ARM, tracing its roots right back to the inception of Acorn in 1978; he’ll outline the motivation for building the first ARM (Acorn RISC Machine) in 1985 and the spin-out of ARM Ltd as a separate company in 1990. His talk will then go on to highlight some key milestones and products in ARM’s history.
This meeting will also include the society’s Annual General Meeting.
All talks are free to members, or £3 for guests / non-members, payable on the door.

Geophysics: A New Approach to Archaeology
2024-05-14 19:45 - 21:00 | Jubilee Pavilion, Gog Magog Way, Stapleford, CB22 5BQ, United Kingdom
What recent geophysical technologies can reveal about archaeological sites and a review of some of the local findings
A talk by Ian Sanderson, Geophysics Practitioner
All talks are free to members, or £3 for guests / non-members , payable on the door.

“Covid Lockdown Memories” Coffee Morning
2024-04-16 10:30 - 12:30 | Cox’s Close Community Room
This may be something we would rather forget, and the general impact will be recorded in world history, but how did it affect local life? The History Society would like a record of what life in the village was like, how we as individuals managed to pass the time, or continue working, what the public spaces of the village were like, and what has or has not returned to normal.
As at our “Coronation Memories” coffee morning, we would like you to bring a written summary with you to help structure the conversation and compile a report.
The morning will be an opportunity to, reminisce, and enjoy coffee and biscuits. All welcome.

The Whipple Museum and the History of Science
2024-03-12 19:45 - 21:00 | Jubilee Pavilion, Gog Magog Way, Stapleford, CB22 5BQ, United Kingdom
One of Charles Darwin’s microscopes
A look at the stories behind the Museum’s extensive collection of scientific artefacts.
A talk by Alison Giles, the Whipple Museum’s Learning Coordinator
All talks are free to members, or £3 for guests / non-members , payable on the door.

“Archiving” Coffee Morning
2024-02-13 10:00 - 12:00 | Cox’s Close Community Room
David Pepperell, who died in 2023, did many things for the village, including creating an extensive photographic record of the area, people and places.
The History Society would like to add these to the archive, but to follow good archiving practice, we need to put names to the people featured and, as far as possible, locations and dates.
The morning will be an opportunity to pass the photos around, reminisce, and enjoy coffee and biscuits. All are welcome.

Countrylife
2024-01-09 19:45 - 21:00 | Jubilee Pavilion, Gog Magog Way, Stapleford, CB22 5BQ, United Kingdom
Local historian Helen Harwood will present this talk.
All talks are free to members, or £3 for guests / non-members , payable on the door.

How Cambridge Made England
2023-12-12 19:45 - 21:00 | Jubilee Pavilion, Gog Magog Way, Stapleford, CB22 5BQ, United Kingdom
Storyteller Chip Colquhoun will present this talk.
All talks are free to members, or £3 for guests / non-members , payable on the door.

Coffee Morning: Coronation Memories
2023-11-07 10:00 - 12:00 | Cox’s Close Community Room
You are invited to gather and collect our memories of the recent Conoration of HM King Charles III – how was this historic event celebrated in Stapleford?
Everyone welcome, coffee and biscuits provided.

“Bastardy, Bigamy, Brawling and brothels” - Tales from Ely
2023-10-10 19:45 - 21:00 | Stapleford Pavilion
Speaker Gill Shapland will give us a talk based on information found in the Ely Quarter Sessions.
All talks are free to members, or £3 for guests / non-members, payable on the door.

Tuesday 11th July Evelyn Lord The Cambridge Plague
2023-07-11 19:30 - 21:00

Tuesday 9th May Elwyn Davies Wicken Windmil
2023-05-09 19:30 - 21:00 | Stapleford Pavilion

Tuesday14th March Mary Dicken Industry in Sawston in the 19th and early 20th Centuries
2023-03-14 19:30 - 21:00 | Stapleford Pavilion

Tuesday10th January 2023​ David Jones Surprising Stories About Stapleford And The Surrounding Area
2023-01-10 19:30 - 21:00 | Stapleford Pavilion

Tuesday December 13th Helen Harwood The Life of the Poor in Victorian Shelford
2022-12-13 19:30 - 21:00 | Stapleford Pavilion

Tuesday 11th October 2022 Alan Osborne Cambridge Scientific Co.
2022-10-11 19:30 - 21:00 | Stapleford Pavilion

Thurs May 12th 2022 - Fruit Growing in South Cambs - Jonathan Spain
2022-05-12 19:30 - 21:00 | Stapleford Pavilion

Thurs March 10th 2022 - Cambridgeshire Customs - Maureen James
2022-03-10 19:30 - 21:00 | Stapleford Pavilion

Thurs, January 13th, 2022 - The History of Pye - Roger Crabtree and Michael Wassail
2022-01-13 19:30 - 21:00 | Stapleford Pavilion

Cambridgeshire Customs
2021-11-16 08:00 - 17:00
A talk by Maureen James
to be held at Stapleford Jubilee Pavilion
on Thursday March 10th @ 7.45pm

The History of Pye
2021-11-16 08:00 - 17:00
A talk by Roger Crabtree and Michael Wassail
at Stapleford Pavilion on Thursday, January 13th 2022 @ 7.45pm

Fruit Growing in South Cambridgeshire - May 12th, 2022
2021-11-16 08:00 - 17:00
A talk by Jonathan Spain
To be held at Stapleford Jubilee Pavilion
on Thursday, May 12th 2022 @7.45pm
