Geoff will introduce his audience to a wide selection of Portland characters and hidden places starting with those long-eared creatures whose name must never be spoken and their connection to Wallace and Gromit. Geoff will swiftly move on to the extraordinary life of Marie Stopes, the Family Planning pioneer, who lived in the Upper Lighthouse and who scandalised the prim and proper Methodist Portlanders with her raunchy lifestyle. One of these old and very religious Portlanders built by hand a pathway from Chiswell leaving religious texts carved in the rocks – hence the name Hallelujah Bay for that area. Other characters include Jack Knapp who managed to be banned from every pub on Portland along with his pet dog and goose, Dodger Cutting with his pampered cow and Dickie Hoskins with his fake pets’ cemetery. Portland’s hidden buildings include over-grown Victorian gun batteries, a vast and very secret underground bunker, Penn’s bath carved two centuries ago out of solid rock hidden in a wood… and much more!
Geoff moved to live and work in Weymouth sixty years ago and has had a long-held fascination with both the histories of Portland and Weymouth. He has two comprehensive websites exploring the unique history of Portland – www.geoffkirby.co.uk/Portland and http://www.geoffkirby.co.uk/PortlandArchivePictures/index.html
The talk will be held in Hope United Reformed Church at 8 Trinity Street. Tea & biscuits will be served from 2pm and the talk will begin at 2.30pm.
Tickets will be available on the door and are £2.00 for members of the Friends and £3.00 for visitors. (Exact change would be appreciated, if possible).
