Wednesday 10th January 2024 at 2pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members.

Dartmoor Prison is one of the most famous penal establishments in the country - having opened its gates to the French (and later American) prisoners of war in 1809. From 1850 it housed convicts but in 1917 it emptied itself of criminals and until 1919 became the Princetown work settlement for conscientious objectors. Simon Dell MBE tells their story. 

Wednesday 24th January 2024 at 2pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members.

Following the discovery of 'The King in the Carpark', a number of theories were put forward regarding who had delivered the fatal blow. This talk by Dr Lynda Pidgeon will look at the possible suspects and try to separate fact from fiction.

Wednesday 14th February 2024 at 2pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members.

Looking around the city centre today, many of the names above the shop entrances are well known national, or even international businesses. But as recently as 50 years ago the majority of retail outlets in the centre of Plymouth were local shops and stores, founded by entrepreneurs who had been born and brought up in the West Country.

This illustrated talk by Alan Bricknell looks at the history of some of those shops, including Pophams, Dingles, Spooners and John Yeo, and the people behind them. 

Wednesday 28th February 2024 at 2pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members.

The story of Admiral Tremlett and his two brothers' naval careers are as stimulating as any Hornblower yarn: culminating with an 18th Century shipwreck en-route to Fort Jackson in Australia. A talk by Barbie Thompson.

Friday 1st March 2024 at 2pm.

Free - donations welcome.

Script-in-Hand Theatre in collaboration with Plymouth Proprietary Library's Writers' Group perform original works by local writers, exploring and celebrating life from the female perspective.

Wednesday 13th March 2024 at 2pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members.

The story of how a wildlife haven and place of sanctuary was created in the heart of Plymouth. A talk by entrepreneur, naturalist and one of the directors of Tulgey Woods Sanctuary - Sam Remmer. 

Wednesday 27th March 2024 at 2pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members.

John Foulston was the architect for the original Plymouth Proprietary Library when it was constructed in the early nineteenth-century. We welcome back Ursula Myers who will reveal more about Foulston and his work in the region.

Wednesday 24th April 2024 at 2pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members.

The Atlantic Challenge is a seamanship contest in which twenty young people work to win their races and competitions for their country. Contest events include traditional rowing sailing races, as well as events more specific to Atlantic Challenge, such as the oars and sails race, passage race, man overboard, rudderless slalom and jackstay transfer. Crews from each nation are also tested in their ability to navigate and undertake ropework.

Chloe Beer (speaker) had been selected to compete for team GB in the Atlantic Challenge to be held in Belfast Maine, USA during the summer. Unfortunately, due to the challenges of raising sufficient fundong, Great Britain have decided to withdraw from the contest. However, Chloe has kindly agrees to discuss her training and preparation, and talk more about the contest.

Thursday 25th April 2024 at 7.30pm (doors open 7pm)

A special Plymouth Poetry Festival edition of Poetry@thePPL with a headline set from Ella Frears and support from Kate Kreke!

Ella Frears has had poetry published in the London Review of Books, the Poetry Review, Poetry London, the Guardian, The Telegraph, Ambit, The Rialto, and the Moth among others. In 2019, she was one of the four finalists for the Arts Foundation Fellowship in Poetry and was commended in the National Poetry Competition.

Thursday 9th May 2024 at 2pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members.

The Plymouth Proprietary Library only moved to St Barnabas Terrace in 2018 but what is the history of the area of which it is now part? Join local historian Richard Fisher for an illustrated exploration of the local area. 

Image: Hotham Place c.1900. 

Tuesday 21st May 2024 at 2pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members.

The building of Burrator reservoir, which opened in September 1898, had a direct impact on the people and the farms of Sheepstor, a Dartmoor village which grew and declined during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Paul Rendell, also known as 'Dartmoor Paul' returns to the PPL following his talk last December on tales of winter on Dartmoor. Paul has been a Dartmoor National Park guide for over 20 years. 

Wednesday 12th June 2024 at 2pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members

A talk by Elaine Henderson. 

Emerging in the gloomy, sooty streets of the mid-Victorian period, the British detective story quickly developed a life of its own, adapting to changing times, changing tastes, until the post-First World War eruption of new writers, including Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and Anthony Berkeley, who established the 'rules' of detective fiction and created what is known as the Golden Age of Detective Stories.

Come and join us as we investigate this enduringly popular literary genre - and take the opportunity to explore the PPL's own unique collection of Golden Age novels

Wednesday 10th July 2024 at 2pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members.

Felicity Goodall brings to life some of lost stories from Plymouth's past: the first man to sail around the world in both directions; the shocking image which helped end the slave trade; and the Plymouth man who navigated over 3,000 miles in an open boat with only the stars to guide him.

Monday 12th August at 2.30pm.

Free for all. Donations welcome.

A 21st century re-imagining of Thomas Hardy's tragic love story written by Jenny and Paul Shryane for Script-in-Hand Theatre.

This new interpretation involves three fated people and an innocent child caught up in their story. Rosa is a Romanian migrant worker, who gave birth 10 years ago to Stefan whilst working for Mr Lodge, a self-made wealthy businessman and owner of lucrative enterprises in the Tamar Valley. But in 2023, Lodge arrives back from London with his latest acquisition, Freya, the fragile daughter of a diplomat. Freya's motherly attentions to Stefan spark a terrible reaction in Rosa ... 

Thursday 22nd August 2024 at 7pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members.

Emancipation was a milestone in Britain’s efforts to end slavery in the Empire. A mass of records was generated by this legislation and they allow us to understand Plymouth’s role in slave ownership which differed from other parts of Devon. This lecture by Dr Todd Gray MBE is firmly based on the historical evidence and will dispel some of the assumptions which are commonly held.

Wednesday 11th September at 2pm.

Free for all (Heritage Open Days event).

Join Father Gregory, President of the Plymouth Proprietary Library, for his illustrated talk: 'Thompson's Seat and other artefacts at Mount Edgcumbe as examples of emerging British identity in the eighteenth century'. 

Saturday 7th and 14th September: 10.30am - 12.30pm.

Free for all (Heritage Open Days event).

The PPL holds some rare and interesting books, a selection of which will be on display for visitors.

Thursday 19th September 2024 at 7.30pm (doors open 7pm).

Pay what you can! (£15, £13, £10, £7, £5).

Featuring Rachel Long and Ed Tapper. Open mic slots available.

RACHEL LONG is the author of My Darling from the Lions (Picador 2020 / Tin House 2021). The book, her debut collection, was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best First Collection, The Costa Book Award, The Rathbones Folio Prize, and The Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award. The US edition of My Darling from the Lions was featured in the New York Times Book Review, and named one of the 100 must-read books of 2021 by TIME.

ED TAPPER is a Plymouth poet and artist. Born in a council house in Efford and raised in Singapore, his work is informed by his keen ear for local dialect, and he loves to incorporate authentic spoken dialogue in his poems. Ed's poems have been published in Republic Magazine, Lay of the Land, Clutter and Dungheap Cockerel. His first collection of poetry, Easy Peelers, was published in 2022, and his new collection, Spoke Reflector, was published in 2024. He also exhibits photography, painting, sculpture, life drawing and video.

Wednesday 25th September 2024 at 2pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members.

A talk by Elaine Henderson.

Revolutions in America and France, war against Napoleon, the start of the Industrial Revolution and a rapid growth in population – these were indeed turbulent times in Britain. But history is not just about momentous events, it is about the ordinary individuals who make up this history. This talk, compiled from the original wills that people in St Stephen-in-Brannel and Launceston made so long ago, gives us fascinating insights into their wishes and hopes for their families, their (sometimes difficult) relationships and their love for even the simplest of possessions. Far more personal than our wills today, these documents offer us a privileged insight into lives long gone.

Before the talk, Deborah Lister, a historian and genealogist at DW Research & Archive Services, will speak for 5-10 minutes about her research and services.

Saturday 28th September 2024 : 10.30am - 12.30pm.

In addition to our normal monthly coffee mornings, the PPL will be hosting a special coffee morning with all proceeds going to Macmillan Cancer Support. Please come and support us and feel free to bring your cakes.

Wednesday 9th October 2024 at 2pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members.

The tale of the mutiny on the Bounty is well known. This illustrated talk by David Elliott takes us from Cornwall and Plymouth to the South Sea Islands and examines who the characters were, why they mutinied, where they hid, and where their descendants are today.

A story of leadership, determination, suspect judgement, devotion to duty, and contrary minds.

Wednesday 23rd October 2024 at 2pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members.

'Local Man invents Computer.' A startling headline for a local Devon paper, and one that begged the question, 'Who was Thomas Fowler?'

Thomas Fowler was a mathematical genius who had the potential to turn the history of computing upside down. Modern assessments have even claimed that computers could have been invented a century earlier because of his work. So why are so few people aware of this humble, self-taught genius from a small market town in Devon. Tragically bad fortune and prejudice dogged his footsteps and his ground-breaking work lapsed into obscurity. Until now.

Tuesday 5th November 2024. 10.30am - 12.30pm

£15 for members. £20 for non-members.

This 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. 

Wednesday 13th November 2024 at 2pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members.

This talk by Chris Robinson MBE starts with a focus on the reconstruction of the city centre, and we see many of the pre-war buildings that survived the Blitz but not the 1943 Plan for Plymouth: Drake Circus, the Corn Exchange, the Prudential, the Odeon and many others. We then go on a tour around the city via Stonehouse, Devonport, Ford, Barne Barton, St Budeaux, Ernesettle, King's Tamerton, Ham, Whitleigh, Honicknowle, Peverell, Mannamead, Mutley, Efford, Laira, Oreston, Hooe and Cattedown.

Friday 22nd & Saturday 23rd November: 11am - 3pm.

The PPL will have a stall at Stoke Damerel church on both days selling books and gifts for Christmas and handing out promotional material about the PPL.

Wednesday 27th November 2024 at 2pm.

£4 for members. £8 for non-members.

Simon Dell MBE returns to the PPL to tell the story of the Westcountry's policewomen. It is a story impossible to tell without looking at the remarkable national picture which was born from the suffragette movement and the first paid policewomen of 1915. This talk celebrates the women who changed the history of the police service.