Upcoming Events

Robert Beaumont, Yorkshire-based historian, author and journalist, has been fascinated by the extraordinary life of George Hudson, the Railway King, from a young age.

Hudson, the poorly educated son of a Yorkshire yeoman farmer, became one of the richest men in Victorian England and created the modern UK railway network. But, thanks to his unscrupulous business practices, he lost everything and died in penury.

Harrogate was an integral part of Hudson’s plans to create a local, as well as a national, railway network and his vision was for the town to become as well-connected and prosperous as York. He managed to this vision into reality, just before he fell spectacularly from grace in 1848.

Robert charts this life with clarity and sensitivity, but will let the audience decide whether Hudson was a hero or a villain.


Robert Beaumont was born in Wakefield in 1954 and educated at Marlborough College and St Catherine’s College, Oxford, where he studied Modern History and was, unfortunately, an exact contemporary of Peter Mandelson. After Oxford, and a short period as a private tutor and a gas meter reader, he joined the Yorkshire Evening Press newspaper in York in 1977. He rose to become assistant editor before leaving in 1998 to launch his own public relations company, Robert Beaumont Associates, which he still runs today. His interests include reading, with favourite authors Evelyn Waugh, Martin Amis and F Scott Fitzgerald, rock music, politics, cricket and York City Football Club. He is married with two children and two grandchildren.

Popular music in Harrogate since the war - the people, the music and the clubs.

A talk by Derek Shelmerdine.

Derek, currently the host of two radio shows, is the famous author of "Rock 'n' Roll Unravelled".

The impact the war had on Harrogate and the impact Harrogate had on the war.

A talk by Guy Wilson.

Guy, who during his many years as Master of the Royal Armouries was responsible for the creation of the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds and is currently Chair of the Ripon Military Heritage Trust.

A history of this often overlooked part of Harrogate that, in many ways, formed and fuelled the town.

A talk by Alan Gould.

Alan is the Secretary of the Bilton Historical Society.

Our annual Christmas Social. Always a great time to meet other members and chill out before Christmas.

Nearly 4 years on from the formation of our unitary authority, Richard Flinton, the Chief Executive of North Yorkshire Council, will talk on how has it developed, what has it achieved and what are the priorities going forward.

Jeremy Burton will talk about the life and achievements of his grandfather Sir Montague Burton from his arrival in England as a refugee from Russian oppression in 1900 until his burial in Harrogate in 1952.

Harrogate’s urban landscape is unique, unusual and fascinating. This illustrated talk by Harrogate born geographer Michael Goodliffe will look at the history, layout and architecture of this still thriving northern town.