History 1

The group has been running for more than six years, studying different topics and looking at different aspects of each over time, with every member presenting a paper. Past subjects have included crime and punishment, a county and a famous building within it, colonialism from ancient to modern times, and researching a person members knew of but knew little about. It has just completed a repeat of A Year in History, taking a year or an event in a specific year, which produced choices as far apart as 1337 and 942. The current topic is maritime disasters and marine safety, opening with the history of the shipping forecast and Robert Fitzroy, who sailed with Darwin on the Beagle and is buried in South Norwood, and going on to the wreck of the White Ship, the Torrey Canyon, piracy, the Costa Concordia, the Princess Alice, the Titanic and the Indianapolis. There have been external speakers and a couple of visits, though members prefer doing the research, which they say gives them the most fun. The group meets at Purley and is currently full, though there may be space in History Group 2.