Autumn 2026 Season: Bygone Days Talks

Bygone Days talks celebrate both local and national history. Talks are held at 7:30 pm at Chilcompton Village Hall in Chilcompton unless otherwise stated. Entry is £5, cash or card on the door, no booking required. Doors open at 7pm. Raffle available.

Raising funds for Somerset Coalfield Life at Radstock Museum charity no. 1151573


“Follies” – An illustrated talk by Jonathan Holt

Tuesday 6th October

For more than twenty-five years, Jonathan Holt has studied, written and given talks about follies. He is author of the books ‘Somerset Follies’ and the ‘Follies of Bristol and Gloucestershire’. He organises trips and guided tours of follies and is dedicated to the preservation of them. Come and listen to the stories behind these intriguing buildings dotted across our landscape.


“Death and Service” – An illustrated talk by Richard Cooper-Knight

Tuesday 3rd November

With November being the month of remembrance, Richard will share stories of the lives of some of our local people, who perished in WWI. Richard has been seeking out First World War Commonwealth Graves across Somerset and has researched the names carved into the granite. This has led him to a wealth of stories of family and tragedy, each name brought to life with their own history.

Many people attended Richard’s first presentation on this subject in 2024 and now he returns with more fascinating histories behind the carved names.


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