The Dorset Clock Society

DORSET CLOCK SOCIETY PROGRAMME

2009

163rd Meeting, Saturday April 25th, St George’s Church Hall, Fordington DT1 1LB, near Dorchester . 7pm for 7.30pm.

Dr Michael Flannery, “Views From the Bench”

On leaving school Michael took up an apprenticeship as a blacksmith from which, as a result of work on church clocks, an interest in horology was born.  He is an accredited conservator and restorer and works on all types of antique clocks.  He will talk on his thoughts about the subject, the tools used and the techniques.

164th Meeting, Saturday May 16th, Hinton Martell Village Hall BH21 7HD, near Wimborne, and later in a garden nearby.  Starting time to be finalised but will be around 3.30pm.

Noel Shelley, “Sand Casting”.  Theory and a Practical Demonstration.

This is an extra meeting in place of a visit and will be extended to include members of the Wessex Branch of the BHI.  There will be two talks on the subject separated by a tea break after which there will be a 'fish and chips' supper.  A demonstration of casting will then take place in a local garden.  There will be a charge of £10 to include the refreshments.

Final details and a booking form will be sent nearer the date.  

165th Meeting, Saturday August 15th, The Mill House, Owermoigne, DT2 8HZ near Dorchester. 6pm for 6.30pm.

Annual Summer Barbeque

Derek, Mary and Richard Whatmoor and their family have again invited us to hold this event at Mill House for which we are exceedingly grateful.  Although the weather was dreadful last year we had a really super time and it was, without doubt, the high light of the year.  The barbeque will be followed by a talk from Derek and Penny on cider making and we have been given the very generous offer of free entry to “A Dorset Collection of Clocks”.

166th Meeting, Saturday 5th September, St George's Church Hall, Fordington near Dorchester, DT1 1LB, 7pm for 7.30pm.

David Rooney “Greenwich Time: Clocks that Changed the World”

David Rooney is a writer, historian of technology and the curator of timekeeping at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich.  He was co-curator of the Observatory's Time Galleries (2006), awarded the prestigious Dibner Award for Excellence by the Society for the History of Technology.  He writes and speaks widely on the history of timekeeping and frequently gives media interviews on the subject.  The son of a prominent South Shields clockmaker, David originally trained as a physicist before turning to the history of technology while working at the Science Museum, London.  He is a Liveryman and Steward of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, a Member of the Institute of Physics, and lives in Greenwich.

167th Meeting, Saturday 3rd October, St George's Church Hall, Fordington, near Dorchester DT1 1LB, 7pm for 7.30pm.

Alan,Viscount Midleton  “Explorers’ Watches of the Royal Geographical Society”

Viscount Midleton is one of the leading horologists of our time. After qualifying as a clock and watch repairer he progressed to be Curator of the famous Gersholm Parkington Collection at Bury St Edmunds.  When the museum was closed down by the local authority he moved to be the Curator of the museum and library at the British Horological Institute.  He has a wide range of interests including American clocks, precision timekeeping, deck watches through to the free pendulum.  Alan is well known to the public as the clocks expert in the Antiques Road Show.  A recent achievement of his was a series of 15 articles in the Horological Journal detailing the history of the BHI.  The Royal Geographical Society kept good records of their watches, who used them and on which expeditions they were used.  We will be fascinated by Alan's blend of horological information about the watches along with the characters who used them and the strange places to which the watches were taken.

168th Meeting, Saturday 7th November, St George's Church Hall, Fordington near Dorchester DT1 1LB, 7pm for 7.30pm.

Chris McKay   “The Great Clock at the Palace of Westminster”

Chris is well-known to our members as an authority on turret clocks, an author and historian.  As this is the year that celebrates the 150^th anniversary of the installation of the Great Clock (popularly  called ‘Big Ben’), Chris will give a history of the clock, tower and bells, a virtual tour of the clock and details about the restoration work carried out in 2007.

169th Meeting, Provisional date-12th December

Christmas Celebratory Meal

Time and venue to be announced

Guests

Members are encouraged to bring guests to meetings.  We hope that this will encourage new members to join the Society.  A guest’s first visit to non-paying meetings is free, but after that a donation is expected for subsequent visits to cover meeting costs.