Hedgerley Historical Society
On Wednesday 21st February at 8pm John Leighfield CBE will be putting
HEDGERLEY ON THE MAP – FROM GOUGH TO GOOGLE
John P Leighfield CBE MA was educated at Oxford 1958-
1962 (Greats at Exeter College) and his major interests are
in IT and in Education and collecting and talking on old
maps. John has worked in IT since 1962 and has been
Chairman of a number of IT companies. He has been
President of the British Computer Society, President of
the IT Trade Association and Master of the Worshipful
Company of Information Technologist (2005-06).
John has been collecting
maps (of Oxfordshire and adjoining counties and of Cornwall)
since 1966 and regularly lectures on the topic. This talk will
include a brief introduction to mapping from prehistoric time
up to the earliest maps of Britain, the first extant map of
Britain with genuine cartographic content (the ‘Gough’ map),
the beginning of professional mapping in Tudor times, the
evolution of maps of Berkshire from the 16th to 19th centuries,
the origin and development of the Ordnance Survey and
mapping today up to Google.
The final event in our Winter programme will be on Saturday 24th February at 8pm when
Christian Wolmar will present his talk on
GLOBAL CONQUEST: HOW RAILWAYS TOOK OVER THE WORLD
Christian Wolmar will take us through the history of the railways, demonstrating their
importance in stimulating economic and social progress. The railways changed the world in
so many ways but their role has often been underestimated and forgotten. His talk will show
just how much modern life owes to the invention of the railways and how they spread quickly
around the world transforming people’s lives.
Christian Wolmar is an award-winning writer and broadcaster specialising in transport and
is the author of a series of books on railway history. He is a frequent speaker at conferences
and railway events, and regularly appears on TV and radio. Among his numerous feature
TV appearances, he has been on Coast, Julia Bradbury’s Railway Walks and the railway
programmes presented by Ian Hislop and Michael Portillo, and more recently the series on
BBC4 about how the railways made modern Britain.
His history of Britain’s Railways, Fire and Steam, was widely praised and in 2009 he published
Blood, Iron and Gold, how railways transformed the world. His latest history book is To the
Edge of the World, the history of the Transsiberian railway, published in 2013. He has also
recently published a book on the history of Indian railways.
Hedgerley Historical Society meet at Hedgerley Memorial Hall Kiln Lane Hedgerley SL2 3UZ
Further details from John Lovelock 01753 647187 [email protected]
42 |
hiyabucks.com