Monthly Talks Programme
These take place on the last Thursday of each month at 19:30 (No Talks are held in August and December). The price for Talks at the Fleet Air Arm Museum for 2024 is £6.00. We are continuing to improve the standard of our live Zoom option with the aim of widening the audience for these talks. The cost for this option is £4.00.
Access for Thursday evening Talks at the Fleet Air Arm Museum is via the ground floor access gate, which is to the left of the main entrance stairs. Ring the bell on the sign to the left of the gate and a staff member will come and let you in.
Guests and non members are very welcome at the Museum or on Zoom. Tea/Coffee, Wine and Soft Drinks are available for a donation in the FAAM Auditorium before the presentation starts and also in the interval.
These are very popular events and we encourage you to purchase tickets beforehand to ensure entry. Entry is possible on the door of the night of the Talk but only if the maximum capacity has not been reached. Pre-paid tickets are guaranteed entry as priority will be given to pre-paid ticket holders. Tickets are available online via PayPal. Other payment options are available by BACS and Cheque. Please note: there is a cut off for purchasing advance tickets on the Tuesday before a Thursday Talk at 19:30 when the PayPal links will be disabled. Any payments received after the cut-off will be held over to the following month’s Talk.
NON SoFFAAM MEMBERS
Are very welcome to our Thursday evening Talks both at the Fleet Air Arm Museum and on Zoom. Consider joining SoFFAAM to get the benefits of entry to the Museum and other society privileges. See our Membership page HERE.
NB. We do not issue physical tickets. Names will be added to the audience attendance list at the Museum Auditorium. You will be asked for your Surname and checked-in on the night. The same is for Zoom where you will be checked as you log-in. Zoom links are sent out 48 hours before the talk takes place. For further details on any of the monthly talks, please contact us.
Iain Ballantyne – ‘Undersea’ in the Cold War
Thursday 25 July 2024 at 19.30
Iain Ballantyne has written extensively about navies past and present. He is currently the editor of ‘Warships – International Fleet Review Magazine’, a topical monthly magazine reporting on the world’s navies and their activities. There has been some fascinating, in-depth reporting about the loss of some of the Russian Black Seas fleet over the last two years in their ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Tonight Iain will focus on the Cold War Submarine activities of the Royal Navy, our NATO allies and dangerous encounters with Russian ships in UK waters.
His extensive knowledge on all things naval comes from a career as a former newspaper defence reporter and contributions to national and regional newspapers, international magazines, as well as to television news, documentary programmes, podcasts and radio shows. While working for a London-based multi-media production company, Iain played a pivotal role in creating training films and corporate communication projects for the Royal Navy. In 2017, Iain was presented with a prestigious Fellowship Award by the UK’s Maritime Foundation for making ‘a truly outstanding contribution to stimulating public engagement in maritime issues’. We are very privileged to have Iain as one of our guest speakers for the SoFFAAM Talks programme.
Payment options for advanced ticket sales are as below.
July 2024 Talk Payment Information.
Members and guests attending at the FAA Museum is £6.00ea and Zoom £4.00ea. You can also pay on the door on the night to see this Talk, but priority will be given to pre-paid tickets if the hall capacity is reached.
PLEASE NOTE: there is a cut off for purchasing advanced tickets on the Tuesday prior to the Talk at 19:30 when the PayPal link will be disabled. Any BACS or Cheque payments received after this time will be held over to the following months Talk.
PayPal
To attend at the Museum is £6.00
Click HERE to pay by PayPal.
We do not issue physical tickets. PayPal informs us you have paid and your name will be added to the audience attendance list at the Museum Auditorium. You will be asked for your Surname and checked-in on the night.
PayPal
To attend on Zoom is £4.00
Click HERE to pay by PayPal.
We do not issue physical tickets. PayPal informs us you have paid and your name will be added to the Zoom attendance list and you will be checked-in on the night.
Zoom links will be sent 48 hours ahead of the Talk. If you have not received one by 24 hours ahead of the Talk, please contact soffaam.joinup@gmail.com
BACS
BANK: Lloyds Bank plc. Sort Code: 30-99-98 Account No: 00857987
Please reference the payment with your Surname/July so we know which talk you are paying for.
For Zoom, you must email soffaam.joinup@gmail.com requesting your Zoom invite. Please advise your payment is for the July 2024 Talk.
Your name will be added to the audience attendance list at the Museum Auditorium or to the Zoom attendance list.
Zoom links will be sent 48 hours ahead of the Talk. If you have not received one by 24 hours ahead of the Talk, please contact soffaam.joinup@gmail.com
Cheque
Please send a cheque payable to SoFFAAM:
Membership Secretary, Coombe View, 1 Coombe Villas, Coombe Orchard, Chapel Street, Axmouth, Devon, EX12 4AU.
Please reference the payment with your Surname/July so we know which talk you are paying for.
For Zoom, you must email soffaam.joinup@gmail.com requesting your Zoom invite. Please advise your payment is for the July 2024 Talk.
Your name will be added to the audience attendance list at the Museum Auditorium or to the Zoom attendance list.
Zoom links will be sent 48 hours ahead of the Talk. If you have not received one by 24 hours ahead of the Talk, please contact soffaam.joinup@gmail.com
Gp Capt (retd) Jock Heron – Military Aircraft Procurement Decisions and Follies
Thursday 26 September 2024
We welcome the return of Jock Heron to the SoFFAAM Talks programme. A very erudite speaker whose expertly researched presentations are always a firm favourite with our audiences.
The full detail of Jock’s Talk will be posted here in the near future.
Payment options will become available at the beginning of August.
Thursday Evening September 2024 Talk Payment Information.
Members and guests attending at the FAA Museum is £6.00ea. You can also pay on the door on the night to see this Talk, but priority will be given to pre-paid tickets if the hall capacity is reached.
PLEASE NOTE: there is a cut off for purchasing advanced tickets on the Tuesday prior to the Talk at 19:30 when the PayPal link will be disabled. Any BACS or Cheque payments received after this time will be held over to the following months Talk.
PayPal
To attend at the Museum is £6.00
A PayPal will be available at the beginning of August.
We do not issue physical tickets. PayPal informs us you have paid and your name will be added to the audience attendance list at the Museum Auditorium. You will be asked for your Surname and checked-in on the night.
PayPal
To attend on Zoom is £4.00
A PayPal will be available at the beginning of August..
We do not issue physical tickets. PayPal informs us you have paid and your name will be added to the Zoom attendance list and you will be checked-in on the night.
Zoom links will be sent 48 hours ahead of the Talk. If you have not received one by 24 hours ahead of the Talk, please contact soffaam.joinup@gmail.com
BACS
BANK: Lloyds Bank plc. Sort Code: 30-99-98 Account No: 00857987
Please reference the payment with your Surname/Sept so we know which talk you are paying for.
For Zoom, you must email soffaam.joinup@gmail.com requesting your Zoom invite. Please advise your payment is for the Sept 2024 Talk.
Your name will be added to the audience attendance list at the Museum Auditorium or to the Zoom attendance list.
Zoom links will be sent 48 hours ahead of the Talk. If you have not received one by 24 hours ahead of the Talk, please contact soffaam.joinup@gmail.com
Cheque
Please send a cheque payable to SoFFAAM:
Membership Secretary, Coombe View, 1 Coombe Villas, Coombe Orchard, Chapel Street, Axmouth, Devon, EX12 4AU.
Please reference the payment with your Surname/Sept so we know which talk you are paying for.
For Zoom, you must email soffaam.joinup@gmail.com requesting your Zoom invite. Please advise your payment is for the Sept 2024 Talk.
Your name will be added to the audience attendance list at the Museum Auditorium or to the Zoom attendance list.
Zoom links will be sent 48 hours ahead of the Talk. If you have not received one by 24 hours ahead of the Talk, please contact soffaam.joinup@gmail.com
Alistair Hodgson – The de Havilland Comet airliner – the 75th anniversary of her maiden flight.
Thursday 31 October 2024 at 19.30
This October sees the welcome return of Alistair Hodgson.
A de Havilland officianado who spent many years at Salisbury Hall, the de Havilland Museum at London Colney Hertfordshire. Alistair’s presentations are always very well researched and full of facinating detail so come and join his talk to hear about the first jet airliner, it’s highs and lows and not forgetting it had a long and distinguished military transport role with the RAF.
Payment options will become available at the beginning of October.
October 2024 Talk Payment Information.
Members and guests attending at the FAA Museum is £6.00ea and Zoom £4.00ea. You can also pay on the door on the night to see this Talk, but priority will be given to pre-paid tickets if the hall capacity is reached.
PLEASE NOTE: there is a cut off for purchasing advanced tickets on the Tuesday prior to the Talk at 19:30 when the PayPal link will be disabled. Any BACS or Cheque payments received after this time will be held over to the following months Talk.
PayPal
To attend at the Museum is £6.00
A PayPal link will appear here at the beginning of October.
We do not issue physical tickets. PayPal informs us you have paid and your name will be added to the audience attendance list at the Museum Auditorium. You will be asked for your Surname and checked-in on the night.
PayPal
To attend on Zoom is £4.00
A PayPal link will appear here at the beginning of October.
We do not issue physical tickets. PayPal informs us you have paid and your name will be added to the Zoom attendance list and you will be checked-in on the night.
Zoom links will be sent 48 hours ahead of the Talk. If you have not received one by 24 hours ahead of the Talk, please contact soffaam.joinup@gmail.com
BACS
BANK: Lloyds Bank plc. Sort Code: 30-99-98 Account No: 00857987
Please reference the payment with your Surname/Oct so we know which talk you are paying for.
For Zoom, you must email soffaam.joinup@gmail.com requesting your Zoom invite. Please advise your payment is for the October 2024 Talk.
Your name will be added to the audience attendance list at the Museum Auditorium or to the Zoom attendance list.
Zoom links will be sent 48 hours ahead of the Talk. If you have not received one by 24 hours ahead of the Talk, please contact soffaam.joinup@gmail.com
Cheque
Please send a cheque payable to SoFFAAM:
Membership Secretary, Coombe View, 1 Coombe Villas, Coombe Orchard, Chapel Street, Axmouth, Devon, EX12 4AU.
Please reference the payment with your Surname/Oct so we know which talk you are paying for.
For Zoom, you must email soffaam.joinup@gmail.com requesting your Zoom invite. Please advise your payment is for the October 2024 Talk.
Your name will be added to the audience attendance list at the Museum Auditorium or to the Zoom attendance list.
Zoom links will be sent 48 hours ahead of the Talk. If you have not received one by 24 hours ahead of the Talk, please contact soffaam.joinup@gmail.com
2024
Paul Hurt – The ‘Lizzie’ (Lysander) and Westlands
Thursday 28 November 2024
2025
Rod Dean – Flying the Hunter operationally and for fun
Thursday 30 January 2025