- Saturday 14 November 2026
- 10.30am -4pm
Bridgwater History Day
About this event
Bridgwater History Day 2026
There will be talks and films by local historians. The event is free and you
can drop in and out during the day.
As an extra feature this year the Westover Tapestry will be on display at
St Mary’s Church and that’s also where this year’s free ‘Medieval
Banquet’ will be held for History Day visitors from 1-2pm.
History Day is sponsored by Bridgwater Town Council and Bridgwater
College
Programme
1030 |
Welcome byCllr Leigh Redman |
Mayor of Bridgwater |
1030-11.10 |
Larry Bennett |
‘The Bridgwater Beam Wireless Station’ Larry is a former Radio Officer, who worked at the BT Radio Station in Highbridge for many years before becoming Radio Signals Manager at the UK Hydrographic Office in Taunton. Since taking retirement in 2019, he has devoted much of his time into researching radio and local history and has had numerous books and booklets published on his specialist subjects. He has undertaken a great deal of work into the history of both the Chedzoy Radiotelephone Station and the Bridgwater Beam Wireless Station, which form the subject of his presentation. |
1110-1150 |
Chris Sidaway |
“Bridgwater Arts Centre 80th Anniversary” Chris has been involved, in various guises, with Bridgwater Art Centre for nearly 60 years of its 80 year history. From Bridgwater Youth Theatre to voluntary steward, from Visual Arts Committee to full Board Director and then as local authority Arts Officer…and ofttimes enthusiastic bar supporter. |
1150-1200 |
Tony Woolrich |
Film “Bridgwater Museum’s History” Hon. Curator of the Blake Museum Bridgwater 2012-2018. Writer and editor. Expert in industrial history and biography. Contributor to the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, the Biographical Dictionary of Civil Engineers and Wikipedia. He was involved in the Museum refurbishment from 2009, and he has edited the Museum newsletters from 2009, and from 2018 he has co-edited the website with Miles Kerr-Peterson of the Bridgwater Heritage Group |
1200-1220 |
Wayne Pope |
Film and talk “The 40th Foot Somersetshire’s at the Battle of Waterloo” Wayne Pope is the ex-Royal Navy marathon runner who has been fundraising for blind veterans’ charities. Bridgwater born, he comes from a military family and himself served on frigates in the Gulf specialising in radar. In recent years he has turned his hand to history including a project on the Monmouth Rebellion and the Battle of Waterloo for Utrecht University.
|
1220-1300 |
Brian Smedley |
“The Vernon Bartlett Election of 1938”Brian is the leader of Bridgwater Town Council and the founder of History Day in 2016. He has written books, plays and musicals about Bridgwater History and runs the Westover website featuring his historical research. www.westoverward.co.uk
|
1300-1400 |
Lunch at St Marys Church |
Westover Tapestry will be on display |
1400-1415 |
Dr Miles Kerr Peterson |
Film “The Black Death in Bridgwater”‘Dr Miles Kerr-Peterson is a freelance historian who has worked for the Universities of Glasgow, Dundee, the Open University and the Burrell
|
1415-1500 |
Irena Hubble |
“Myths and Legends of Somerset”
Irena Hubble is a Bridgwater Town Councillor. teacher, translator with an interest in local history. She has lived in Somerset for 15 years. She is the Town Council’s spokesperson for Culture and the Arts |
1500-1515 |
Friends of the Wembdon Rd Cemetery |
Film “Some Women of Bridgwater” This year the Friends of the Wembdon Road Cemetery published a book of the Women of Bridgwater, told through 65 stories of girls and women in |
1500-1600 |
Sharif Gemie |
“The origins of the Glastonbury Festival”Sharif is a happily retired History lecturer living in South Wales. He started writing fiction after retirement. His second novel, Songs from Midnight Streets, will be published in November. https://sharifgemie.com/ |