2018/19 Lectures Season Archive
Our usual lecture seasons run from October to June, culminating with our AGM.
These are the details of our lectures for this season: use this page to get a feel for the kind of lectures you could enjoy free of charge as a YAYAS member or as an aide memoire for those elusive lectures you've enjoyed over the years.
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2018 – 2019 lecture season
17th October 2018
Andrew Wood
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Constantine the Great and the Wold Newton Hoard
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(An extended report on this talk is printed in the YAYAS Times Annual report issue of 2018.)
The Wold Newton Hoard consists of nearly 2000 Roman low denomination coins found by a metal detectorists in 2014. Much can be theorised by comparing this Hoard with others. A scattering of coins has been found in the area of the Hoard. It's hard not to imagine a lot of activity in this local farmland area.
14th November 2018
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Louise Wheatley
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Clifford's Tower
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(An extended report on this talk is printed in the YAYAS Times Annual report issue of 2018.)
Using paintings, plans, watercolours and etchings, Louise took us on a fascinating journey through the castle's history; and shared with us her obvious love of painting for its own sake.
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16th January 2019
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David Fraser and Nick Beilby
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York Civic Trust: Changing the Face of the City
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(An extended report on this talk is printed in the YAYAS Times Annual report issue of 2019.)
David asked, 'Why is York special?' he suggested that York has a thriving and vibrant cultural life with the public active in making its views felt. York's future should be decided by York people, not by developers whose interest was purely economic. He went on to give examples of York Civic Trust's more recent actions including improving the graveyard garden of All Saints Pavement. He concluded that strategy is nothing without detail, which introduced Nick.
Nick is very 'hands on' and drawn to the very technical work he does on York's structures. Nick described his work to restore the Rigg Monument in St. Lawrence churchyard among many other actions. In creating a memorial for Dr. John Snow: 'the man who took the handle off the Broad Street pump', Nick demonstrated his attention to authenticity. He concluded by mentioning what was next on his list: the Ice House near Monk Bar, the finials on the Scarcroft School clock and a possible mechanism for the Monk Bar portcullis. So not a conclusion at all.
20th February 2019
Andrew Hingston
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St. Martin's Church, Coney Street
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(An extended report on this talk is printed in the YAYAS Times Annual report issue of 2019.)
Andrew showed us a variety of illustrations of the church (only known as St. Martin le Grand in the 19th century), some of the illustrations owing something to artist's licence. The stonework has suffered but been repaired over the years and the war raid savaged the north aisle and nave. A 'new church' has been created from the south aisle and Andrew told of his hunt for evidence of how the total interior might have looked. Andrew then discussed how the church related to its surrounding area and suggested that regular boat crossings before York had more than one bridge over the Ouse.
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20th March 2019
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Rosemary Cook
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York Home for Nurses 1870 – 1920
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(An extended report on this talk is printed in the YAYAS Times Annual report issue of 2019.)
Rosemary located her subject firmly within York landmarks. Dr. James Ramsay lived in York from 1872 until his death in 1915 and was the mainstay of the Home nearly until his death. Health provision before the NHS was patchy and offered scope for charitable provision while nursing the sick was dangerous in the days before antibiotics. The Home was finally closed in 1983, and the £8,000.00 arising from its closure was settled on the Dean Purey Cust Charitable Trust where it continues to benefit the distressed of York. We found we had in the audience a 'baby' born in the Purey Cust which added to the interest of the evening.
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17th April 2019
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Guy Bowyer
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The Work of York Conservation Trust
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(An extended report on this talk is printed in the YAYAS Times Annual report issue of 2019.)
This lecture was the first time a speaker had lent us a copy of his Powerpoint presentation.
The YCT is a not-for-profit Buildings Preservation Trust. It's one of the largest private landlords in York, using its rental income to preserve, enhance and purchase further properties. We were shown the fascinating process by which ceiling repairs were made to the Assembly Rooms and then Guy described to us YCT's approach to the acquisition and development of 14, Lendal, formerly Robson and Cooper and now the House of Trembling Madness. We heard about how both these buildings had inadequate ventilation so restoration of these properties not only repaired and replaced but also providing buildings that could 'breathe' and look forward to a sustainable future. The Theatre Royal's repair and restoration also involved archaeological work and received public attention via the media during the process.
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15th May 2019
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John Oxley
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Landscapes of Opportunity? Archaeology and the City of York Local Plan
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(An extended report on this talk is printed in the YAYAS Times Annual report issue of 2019.)
John described how the Local Plan came into being, published in 2018. He then turned to the 2013 Heritage Topic Paper Update which proposed 6 principal characteristics of the historic environment. The Topic paper enabled York to be described in terms of Factors, Themes and Characteristics. This made it possible to see how 'what made York special' could be more clearly defined. John went on to identify the Local Plan proposals on a diagrammatic map of the City to show the impact assessment of each allocation in the Plan. John made it clear that York's future development is in our hands and the hands of all local communities.
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19th June 2019 (following the AGM business)
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Tony Hunt, Chair of CBA Yorkshire
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Aerial archaeological mapping in Yorkshire
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(An extended report on this talk is printed in the YAYAS Times Annual report issue of 2019.)
Talks following the AGM business itself are usually given by YAYAS Council members. On this occasion, Tony Hunt gave us a 'taster' of the expanded talk he hoped to give in the forthcoming lecture series.
Aerial observation has been practised for amny years. Advances in technology have taken the facility several steps forward. Tony was one of the first to realise the potential images without distortion. The high quality of the instruments and computer programs permit very close up imagining and elevation profiles and 3D modelling. One can 'walk round a feature that is not actually in existence on the ground.
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