Wednesday 8th January 2025 at 2pm.

Free for members. £4 for non-members.

A talk by Dr Louis Halewood, Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Business at the University of Plymouth.

During the First World War, the British and American navies worked closely together to defeat Germany's U-boat campaign. The end of the conflict in 1918 sparked hopes for a new era of international naval co-operation, rather than competition. However, when the senior officers of the Royal Navy and the United States Navy met at the Paris Peace Conference in 1919, their respective ambitions to be the world's most powerful navy threatened to overturn their wartime relationship and prompt the start of a new dangerous rivalry at sea. 

This talk explores this event - later referred to as the 'Naval Battle of Paris' - and explains its causes and outcome, while reflecting on its continued significance in the Anglo-American relationship today.   

Wednesday 22nd January 2025 at 2pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members.

This illustrated presentation will tell the story of the talented Brunel family; not just Isambard, but also his father Marc Brunel (pictured). Through tireless endeavour they produced some world class achievements.

A talk by Gloria Dixon, Chair and Secretary of the Old Plymouth Society.

Tuesday 28th January 2025: 10.30am - 12.30pm

This repeat workshop will be run by PPL trustee Louise Kingdom. It will combine traditional book-making techniques with modern materials to create a unique notebook, ideal as a gift.

Participants will make their own sturdy and pretty covers, and learn how to hand-stitch pages using the coptic binding method. This ancient binding method technique results in books that lie flat when open making them perfect for sketching, recipes, journals, study notes, etc.

Suitable for complete beginners.

All materials provided and refreshments included. 

Takeaway kits can be bought at the event in order to make a second book at home.

Wednesday 26th February 2025 at 2pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members.

A small number of Plymouth's independent stores have survived into the twenty first century, amongst them Lawsons, although they have now given up their store in Plymouth City Centre and these days can only be found in Ivybridge, Tavistock and Totnes. Goulds, who found life increasingly difficult with competition from companies such as Blacks, Cotswold and Go Outdoors, finally ceased trading recently. Other shops, such as Costers, Tozers, Boolds and Moons, disappeared from the high street many years ago but are remembered fondly by many locals.

This illustrated talk by Alan Bricknell looks at the history of each of these six companies, and ends with a brief look at the history of Plymouth Co-operative. 

Wednesday 12th March 2025 at 2pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members.

Join Emma Laws, Librarian at Exeter Cathedral, to hear the story of Exeter Cathedral Library and its collections from its foundation under Bishop Leofric in the 11th century to the 21st century modern research library.

Wednesday 26th March 2025 at 2pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members.

This illustrated talk by David Elliott tells the tale of the British Navy's first defeat for one hundred years (since Trafalgar times) off Coronel on the coast of Chile in November 1914. 

Just 38 days later, a comprehensive victory over the German East Asian Squadron off Falkland restored the belief that "Britain Ruled the Waves".

Wednesday 9th April 2025 at 2pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members.

Karen Moore is an independent heritage researcher and member of the Plymouth Community Heritage Network. She is a Postgraduate in Social History - her specialism being her hometown of Plymouth, particularly swimming in the region. Karen will share with us some of her ongoing research.

Wednesday 23rd April 2025 at 2pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members.

Local historian Richard Fisher returns to the PPL following his talk in 2024 on our local area. Richard has spent many years researching Stonehouse which will be the subject of this illustrated talk.

Wednesday 14th May 2025 at 2pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members.

In 1464 Maud (Matilda) Courtenay made her last will and testament, her will set out her charitable bequests, while the testament detailed her funeral arrangements. Maud died three years later, and she was buried in the church of St Nicholas Priory, Exeter. These two documents tell us about her death and give some hints about her character, but her life is less well documented.

This talk by Dr Lynda Pidgeon will look at her death and attempt to throw some light on her life.

Wednesday 28th May 2025 at 2pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members.

Plymouth-based Philip Photiou is the author of  Plymouth's Forgotten War. In this illustrated talk he discusses the royalist invasion of Devon in 1643 when Prince Maurice's army invaded Exeter and Dartmouth before the ensuing siege of Plymouth.

Wednesday 11th June 2025 at 2pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members.

A talk by Robert King about the Island's past from Norman ownership after 1066, its' time as a coastal fort defending Plymouth from the Tudors to the end of World War II and as a much loved adventure centre after the War. The talk covers the ownership after the adventure centre closed, the current state of the island and what the future may hold. Plenty of time for questions afterwards so if there is anything you have ever wanted to know about Drake's Island, now is your chance. 

Saturday 21st June 2025: 11am - 3pm.

The PPL will have a stall selling books and craft items.

Wednesday 25th June 2025 at 2pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members.

2025 marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth in Hampshire. In her relatively short life she travelled through fourteen English counties, including, between 1801 and 1804, Devon and Dorset. Her experience of both coastal shires appears in her first and last published novels, Sense and Sensibility and Persuasion. 

This lecture by Hazel Jones, a Jane Austen specialist, will feature contemporary maps and other early-nineteenth century travellers' impressions to illustrate the places she visited and to reveal the locations she might have drawn on for the names of fictional houses and villages.

Wednesday 2nd July 2025 at 2pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members.

The Tavistock Subscription Library, now a charity, was formed by four young men; first as a 1796 literary club and then instituted as a public library in 1799. Supported by many townspeople including the Duke and Duchess of Bedford, in 1830 it moved to the purpose-built Court Gate and has been there ever since.

Simon Dell MBE returns to the PPL to give an illustrated talk on the library from the early origins to the present day. 

Saturday 5th July 2025: 10am - 2pm.

There will be a book sale of unwanted items from the Tavistock Library including books on Plymouth. The PPL will have a percentage of the sales.

Wednesday 23rd July 2025 at 2pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members.

The Pinwill sisters were true innovators in becoming professionals in an occupation entirely dominated by men and creating between them one of the most successful ecclesiastical woodcarving companies in the West Country, with work in over 180 churches across Devon and Cornwall and further afield. The company persisted through two world wars and the Great Depression, as well as overcoming the need to adapt to changing architectural styles from Gothic Revival through to Modern. When first Mary and then Ethel left the company, Violet ran the business single-handedly, employing nearly 30 carvers and joiners at the height of its success.

Talk by Dr Helen Wilson, author of The Remarkable Pinwill Sisters 

Saturday 2nd August 2025 at 2pm.

Free for members. £4 for non-members.

Join us for an informal afternoon with PPL Patron Babs Horton. 

Babs will read from a selection of her short stories, her debut novel A Jarful of Angels and her Edinburgh Fringe sell out play In the Lady Garden (this is also her theatrical debut - worry not, it will be heavily censored!). Babs will be happy to take questions on anything writing related and refreshments will be provided.

Saturday 13th and Monday 15th September 2025: 10am - 2pm.

FREE for all: Heritage Open Days event.

Doreen Mole spent seventeen years conducting research on the history of Plymouth for Chris Robinson, MBE (and Patron of the PPL). After she passed away, her son donated the archive to the library. It contains research papers, photographs, maps, leaflets and books. Two of our volunteers have been busy processing the material.

In May of this year, the PPL was awarded a community grant from Plymouth City Council to purchase material to conserve the Doreen Mole archive. A selection of the archive will be on display. 

Saturday 20th September 2025 at 2pm.

FREE for all - Heritage Open Days event.

Ernest Francis Penrose, 'Pen', born and raised in Plymouth, claimed that the history and geography of Plymouth "gave some of us an essentially outward vision". Seeing action during the battles of the Somme, Passchendaele, Cambrai and Ypres confirmed his internationalist outlook and he devoted his life to the building of international institutions, peace and understanding.

This illustrated talk by Angela and Trevear Penrose will cover Pen's extraordinary life and how, as an academic, a diplomat and writer, he became involved in many of the most formative moments of the 20th century.

Wednesday 8th October 2025 at 2pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members.

Her life - as dramatic and eventful as her fiction (which is only outsold by the Bible and Shakespeare), discover how Torquay's famous daughter came to enjoy worldwide success, and find out more about her deadly dispensary of poisons. 

 A talk by Janet Sellick.

Wednesday 22nd October 2025 at 2pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members.

This talk on Ann Glanville - 'the world's female champion rower' in the C19th will be given by Saltash local historian Barry Brooking who will explore the facts of her life and the number of myths that came out surrounding her achievements.

Saturday 25th October 2025 at 2pm.

Free for members. £4 for non-members.

Rev. Tim Buckley (PPL trustee) launches his new book at the PPL: The Hearts of the Fathers, the second Adam Pennycome novel. Continuing many of the themes from the first book, it asks the question - what do you do when you can no longer ignore the past?

Join Tim as he discusses his new novel and read excerpts before taking questions from the audience. Refreshments will be provided.

Tuesday 28th October 2025: 10.30am - 12.45pm.

£15 for members. £20 for non-members.

We will make hard covers and stitch pages using traditional bookbinding techniques and modern materials. Swiss binding is a technique whereby only the final endpaper is glued to the cover so the stitches can be revealed and the book lies flat when open. The result is an attractive and durable book ideal for journaling, sketching, recipes etc.

The class (run by Louise Kingdom) is suitable for all levels including complete beginners. All materials are provided, along with refreshments, and you will take home your unique notebook.

Maximum of seven places.  

Wednesday 12th November 2025 at 2pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members.

A blue plaque in Turnchapel, Plymouth reads: 'On his return from India, T.E. Lawrence under the assumed name of Shaw was posted to a flying boat squadron at R.A.F. Mount Batten.' Find out more as speaker Ursula Myers returns to the PPL for an illustrated talk.

Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd November 2025: 11am - 3pm.

The PPL will have a stall on both days selling Christmas gifts.

Wednesday 26th November 2025 at 2pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members.

Chris Robinson MBE (and PPL Patron) returns to talk about his new book 'A History of Plympton', the first attempt at a 'comprehensive' history of Plympton St Maurice, St Mary, Colebrook and Underwood, plus the many more recent developments. Chronicling well over a thousand years of the area's back story, this illustrated talk gives an account of what was 'a borough town when Plymouth was just a fuzzy down!' 

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