My “Bench Mark” talks (delivered since 2013)
St Albans and Hertfordshire Architectural and Archaeological Society (SAHAAS @ St Albans)
Museum of St Albans (@ Roman Museum, St Albans)
Institute of Carpenters, Central Section (@ BCC, Stratford London)
Hemel Hempstead u3a, Industrial History Interest Group (@ HH)
Probus Group, Hemel Hempstead (@ HH)
Charles Close Society, (@ local meeting St Albans)
Penwith Local History Group, (@ Newlyn, Cornwall)
The Milestones Society, South Weston meeting, (@ Bristol)
Falmouth Civic Society (@ Falmouth)
The Newlyn Archive – short update & install flush bracket display (@ Newlyn)
Institute of Carpenters, Central Section – BM update and Mapping (@ BCC Stratford London)
Mousehole Historic Research Archive Society (@ Mousehole Cornwall)
Probus Club, Billericay and Shenfield (@ Shenfield)
Hertfordshire Farmers Club (@ South Mimms)
Shenfield u3a (@ Shenfield Essex)
Windsor Castle Gardening Club, (@ Windsor Castle on large TV screen)
Harpenden History Society (@ Eric Morecambe Centre on large TV screen Harpenden)
Tools and Trades Historic Society, (@AGM Ipswich) (including a short talk on “surveying levels”)
Leighton and Linslade “Old Glory” u3a (@ Leighton Buzzard)
Watford And District Industrial History Society WADIHS, Watford
Tring and District Local History and Museum Society, Tring, Hertfordshire
BM Talks in preparation (current research)
Abbots Langley, Hertfordshire
Potential Talk areas researched for BM talk preparation:
Hertford & Ware, St Ives – Cornwall, Leek, Swansea & the Mumbles, Norwich, Southwold, Felixstowe and Frome.
Also considering a more general non-area-specific talk just on Ordnance Survey Bench Mark which is not area related.
Guided Walking Tour of Local BMs (based in and around the area where my talk is delivered)
St Albans Mk1(x2),
St Albans Mk2: (revision covering more BMs than the first walk)
Newlyn (x2),
Falmouth,
Mousehole,
Mousehole and Paul,
Hemel Hempstead old town
Tring central area
Developed but still to be walked:
Ipswich town centre
Leighton Buzzard
Walks in preparation:
Watford
note:- that other guided BM walks can be arranged by request, distance and timing depends on your requirements and how many BM’s are to be located in the area? (a self guided booklet can be produced if required, production costs to be decided).
Ordnance Survey Mapping Talks (relating to the area of the Venue/Group)
Institute of Carpenters, Central Section (@ Stratford, London)
Probus Club, Billericay and Shenfield
SAHAAS Map collection seminars (x3) (@ St Albans)
SAHAAS talk on Ordnance Survey Mapping (via ZOOM)
Hemel Hempstead u3a Industrial History Group (via ZOOM)
Rickmansworth u3a Engineering Group (@ Rickmansworth)
Leighton and Linslade “Old Glory” u3a, Billingham
OS Mapping talks being prepared for:
Tring
Newlyn Tidal Observatory talk
Institute of Carpenters, Central Section (Stratford, London)
SAHAAS Update (during “Mapping Talk” on Zoom)
Hemel Hempstead u3a Industrial History Group
In preparation:
Charles Close Society (by Zoom or in person venue and date TBD)
Other “specialist talks” delivered on Construction, Carpentry, Joinery and various associated subjects within my research interests.
“Open House London” – Planning a visit to the annual open house event with examples of visits that I have planned and visited. (@Stratford, London)
“Roofing setting-out” including the basic roofing members from common rafters to compound cuts and bevels for purlins and others. (@Kings Cross)
Development and history of “Roofing Squares” looking at early patented devices used for marking out roofing members. (@Kings Cross)
Practical use of “two of the current roofing squares” in setting out and marking out a number of roof members including a number of rafters, purlins etc.. (@Kings Cross)
“Practical workshop on roofing” to construct a roof with the use of Bosch power tools to cut compound angles and erect a simple hipped end roof including purlins. (@BOSCH training workshop Uxbridge)
Practical use of “power tools” making a simple project using jigs etc to help with the production of a small folding table. (@BOSCH training workshop Uxbridge)
Talks in preparation for future delivery
I am looking at “Slide rules” of various types and similar quick reference tools with the aim to deliver a presentation based on my collection with examples from a range of different types of not only slide rules but also other kinds of computational devices for quick reference and calculation.
Various practical “Measuring and Setting-Out” tools (including general Carpentry and Joinery plus other timber based areas)
General information about my Talks
researched “Bench Marks” in a particular area
Once researched, I prepare my presentation using PowerPoint stored on a USB pen drive. (I will need to use the venues data projector & screen or large screen monitor)
For each talk I prepare the basic outline the main principles of the OS history and use of levelling, having looked at the various stages in the development of bench marks including how the local marks fit into the national networks. I then illustrate the research that I have found in the specific area based in and around the location of where the talk is to be held and describe some of the BM’s of interest that I have located and photographed.
If required and time permitting, I can demonstrate how the bench mark levels would have been used, focusing on their use with the aid of my traditional surveying instruments and equipment that I bring with me.
Providing that I have been able carry out enough research in the area prior to the talk (and time permitting), I would prepare a small display of research material used in my presentation and suggest the possibilities of me leading a “Guided Walk” of BMs in the area, this would usually be delivered at a later date with the timing and duration decided by the walkers (and the number of BMs available in the area).
OS “Mapping” talks
Following along similar lines to my bench marks talks to include some historical development of OS mapping including triangulation and how this is related to mapping, then looking specifically at OS maps at various scales and their development over time (depending on the maps that I have available).
I look at a range of surveying instruments and equipment used to develop mapping over time (which is different from the levelling used in the benchmark talk), and a very brief description of how maps are made in the modern era.
As for my bench mark talks, I try to focus my presentation on the location of the talk venue/area bringing any examples of maps that I may have from my own collection, if I don’t have many map examples of the area the “talk” will be more general without examples of large scale maps from the area.
Other “Specialist” talks:
I am happy to consider preparing and delivering specialist talks within my area of expertise and/or interest, please contact me for further discussion.