We have a regular Winter Talks programme for Members and Patrons.
Our talks are held in the Abbey Church, Church Road/High Street, North Berwick EH39 4AD.
Drop in to talks welcome – £5 entrance donation. Doors open for 7pm for a 7.30pm start.
Interested in being a Member or Patron? Get in touch with Barbara Clark for free trial membership
including free admission to our next talk. You can be sure of a warm welcome.
While researching an article on Gosford House, historian and author Ailsa stumbled upon a treasure trove of forgotten history — a bundle of unpublished letters written by Annie Anson, who married Francis Charteris, the 9th Earl of Wemyss and March, in 1843. Ailsa will bring Annie’s story to life — a powerful tale of love, torment, and personal tragedy, told in her own voice through the letters she left behind.
Read MoreNorth Berwick’s outdoor pool existed for just short of 100 years before it was demolished, leaving behind only the changing rooms and strong memories. In this nostalgic film, local film-maker Ann Reilly combines the enduring power of community spirit with photos and footage of this iconic pool.
Read MoreOur final talk on Thursday 20 March has the intriguing title of ‘The Importance of Being Ruined’. Local archaeologist and Chair of the North Berwick Environment and Heritage Trust, Olwyn Owen will escort us on a verbal tour of historic sites of North Berwick.
Read MoreA talk by Sir Hew Dalrymple, who will share the delightful and intimate correspondence between his ancestor, MP Sir Hew Dalrymple and his wife Margaret. Sir Hew offers a view into a very different world which is still relatable to us today.
Read MoreNorth Berwick's early development owes much to its role as a staging post on the Way of St Andrews, providing lodging, food and spiritual refreshment for the pilgrims crossing the Firth of Forth.
Read MoreBondagers were the community of mainly women workers who laboured on farms in Northumberland and South East Scotland in the 18th to early 20th centuries.
Read MoreAlthough we will be closing for the winter at the end of October, we will continue to entertain you during the colder, darker evenings with our new season of Winter Talks. The first Talk kicks off on Tuesday 22 October 2024 with ‘It Really Happened Here!’, by the North Berwick Drama Circle.
Read MoreA chance sighting on the BBC Antiques Roadshow inspired one of our volunteers, Judith Booth to find out more about Catherine Watson and her artistic background.
Read MoreIn 1773 the literary Scottophobe Samuel Johnson and his friend and biographer James Boswell embarked on a tour of Scotland from the central belt to the Western Isles. Come along for the ride as Joe Waterfield uses Historic Environment Scotland (HES) archive photographs and drawings to recreate this unforgettable journey.
Read MoreJoin us as we welcome Sir David Tweedie, Chair of North Berwick Trust to talk about the work the Trust has been involved in recently. North Berwick Trust is a local charity working to help make North Berwick a more sustainable, resilient, vibrant, inclusive and equitable place to be.
Read MoreJoin Annie Scanlon from the Costume Society, as she discusses the visit of George IV to Scotland in 1822. This was the first visit of a reigning monarch to Scotland in nearly two centuries, the last being by King Charles II for his Scottish coronation in 1651.
Read MoreLighthouse Lives is a film commissioned by the Northern Lighthouse Heritage Trust and is the culmination of a nine year oral history project, in partnership with the School of Scottish Studies Archives.
Read MoreCome and hear John Guy, a retired orthopaedic surgeon and a member of the Aircraft Preservation Society Scotland (APSS), describe how the society have taken on the challenge of building a replica of a World War One Sopwith Strutter, despite having no prior experience.
Read MoreCome and join local historian Ailsa Fortune next Thursday 26 January for a fascinating talk about the life of Mary Wyndham, Countess of Wemyss.
Read MoreCome and join us for a fascinating trip through the archives with Neil Fraser, the Public Services Manager at the Archives of Historic Environment Scotland, who will share lots of local material to for your research and enjoyment.
Read MoreThe rich heritage of Leith has many interesting stories to tell. Our speaker, Jim Scanlon MBE, was inspired by a book he picked up in the National Museum book shop about Andrew Duncan, the elder who was a physician and professor at Edinburgh University. He discovered Andrew Duncan’s love of golf playing on Leith Links along with other well known names of the 18th century.
Read MoreJoin us and Dr Sheonagh Martin, Visitor Services Manager at The Georgian House, to discover more about this fascinating Edinburgh landmark. Our AGM will take place before the talk, everybody is welcome to attend. The AGM is in St Andrew Blackadder Sanctuary (upstairs with a lift available). The talk will take place in St Andrew Blackadder Chapel area.
Read MoreTomorrow we welcome Libby Morris to talk about the work of ‘North Berwick in Bloom’, which began in the early 1990s.
Read MoreOur Winter Talk this Thursday evening (24 February) is about the life and achievements of Catherine II, Russia’s longest ruling female leader, more commonly known as Catherine the Great. Local historian Bob Simpson will take us through key moments in the fascinating life of this controversial Empress of Russia.
Read MoreAnnie Scanlon is a collector of historic costume based in Edinburgh, with a particular interest in swimwear. She gave a fascinating and entertaining talk on the social history of swimwear in the twentieth century, with some fine examples from her personal collection.
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