Last week I gave a talk in the library at Poulton-le-Fylde. It was the first time I have spoken in this small town since 1955, when I left Baines' Grammar School, not far from the library.
Schools were not averse to corporal punishment in those days, as many a bruised boy could attest. So I was always a bit surprised that the school did not make use of the mediaeval stocks (pictured) in the town square.
Another claim to fame of Poulton is the almost complete 12,000 year-old skeleton of an elk, discovered in nearby Carleton by the other grandfather of two of my grandchildren. It is particularly exciting for historians because of the hunting barbs which were still embedded in the bones. It can be seen in the Harris Museum in Preston.
The talk went down well, despite the beckoning sunshine outside. It was a small room but it was full, and the audience was receptive. My fundraising for Pancreatic Cancer UK hit 160% of my target, with still almost 2 years to go.
I have four more talks scheduled in the rest of this year and over twenty lined up already for 2019.
