Welcome to my independent research project on at


Talks & slide-shows about the Ouse Washes and surrounding areas


Introduction


I am now able to give the following illustrated (slideshow) talks to local organisations, groups and clubs at your chosen venue in Norfolk or Cambridgeshire. I can tailor the shows to range from 45 minutes to 1½ hours to suit your requirements.

I can offer a complete package including my own laptop computer, projector, sound system and screen (although I would prefer you to make a screen available if possible) .  All I need is access to a single 13amp wall socket within 20 feet - and parking close by to unload the equipment. I can also supply templates for a poster or a complete one incorporating your logo/name, date/venue, admission details, etc, ready for printing.

My fees range from £35-£50 per talk depending on the chosen duration and any changes to the standard content you may require and poster design, plus a contribution to my travelling exenses. Please email me (Peter) in the first instance with a contact telephone number and I will phone you to discuss at a time convenient to you. If you cannot email, please leave a message on  07762 989 806. I look forward to hearing from you!



The Tracked Hovercraft Project (The Hovertrain Experiments)



tracked-hovercraft-project-poster Available now - for details see intro above		 The story of the rise & fall of Britain’s wheel-less “railway in the sky”, from conception and birth at Hythe on Southampton Water in the 1960s, to jubilation then death in the wet Cambridgeshire fenlands in the 1970s.

This show is about the work in the fens and the early days of the project in Hampshire. The current show (April 2018) contains new information and images provided by engineers who worked on the project.
 
Also includes the work of the Civil Engineers who built the concrete track the train ran along and the challenges they faced during construction at Earith and Sutton Gault.

 

Drainage of the Middle Level/h1>
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at present 		From its creation in 1650 to the present time.

A story of hope and aspiration, human toil and misery, disaster and flooding, sluices dams and syphons, a pumping station and huge diesel engines, and ultimately the ultra modern and largest pumping station in Europe

In production. Due Summer 2016

 

The Old Croft River


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at present 		A little river with a big history.

From Littleport to Upwell and Wisbech

In planing. Due Winter 2016

 

The ins-and-outs of the Ouse Washes


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at present 		Where the water comes in and where it goes out, and how it is controlled and regulated - but much more too.

This is the story of the creation of the Hundred Foot Washes which today is commonly called the Ouse Washes, and its management from the days of the Earl of Bedford and his Adventurers in the 1650s to the present day top-heavy multi-tasking Environment Agency.

Due winter 2016

 

The railway across the Washes


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at present 		The Ely to Peterborough branch line was built in the 1840s during the early days of Britain's railway building mania.

The biggest challenge was the short length crossing the Ouse Washes and my talk concentrates on this section, although I do cover the history of the line as a wole.

The show should be of interest to many, but railway buffs in particular will appreciate the details of the locomotives and rolling stock.

In planing. Due Winter 2016

 

The Colony at Manea, and Vandervell's Lake


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at present 		Four stories in one show.

Manea Colony was a socialist utopia, a dream of a better way of life for working people in the 1830s/40s.

Vandervells Lake by contrast was a country retreat for a wealthy family wanting somewhere to hunt and fish or simply relax in the 1930-40s.

The show covers both, and how the first morphed into the second, plus a little of what happened in the hundred years between, and something of the period between the 1970s and the present day.

In planing. Due Winter 2016