Speakers

Born in 1954, Chris Robinson is a third generation Plymothian who is passionate about his home city.

He has dedicated his life to drawing Plymouth and its environs, writing about its rich history as well as capturing more recent eras in a series of nostalgic publications and films.

Chris Robinson has been writing about Plymouth for over 40 years and in that time, he has had some 40 books published about various aspects of the City’s culture and heritage. 

Chris was educated at Hyde Park, Plymouth College, Leeds and then Warwick University where he wrote a Masters on Youth Culture and the Rolling Stones, Chris is a keen social cricketer, an Argyle season ticket holder and a happy husband, father, grandfather and dog walker.  Chairman of the Plymouth Barbican Trust, and President of the Old Plymouth Society, he also sits on the Plymouth Waterfront Partnership, the Plymouth Astor Trust and the Plymouth Dispensary Trust.  Chris was also Chairman of Governors of his old school for many years. In 2021 he was awarded the MBE for services to Education, Heritage, Conservation, Business and Tourism in Plymouth.

Julia Neville first became interested in local history in Devon as a hobby when she moved to Plymouth in 1985 to work in the NHS. She now lives in Exeter and, since retirement, has taken a PhD in political history and developed a range of countywide collaborative research projects on topics in 19th and 20th century history, leading up to the present Devon in the 1920s project.

Karen is an Independent heritage researcher and member of the Plymouth Community Heritage Network. Following a career in the Civil Service, she chose to pursue a long held interest in History at Plymouth University.  She is a Postgraduate in Social History - with a particular specialism of swimming in Plymouth. 

She has been a volunteer Heritage Researcher at Ford Park Cemetery since 2010, also a member of the Heritage Team and contributes to the research for their exhibitions and guided walks.  

Karen has worked on several community heritage projects, including Plymouth Respect Festival 2021 - Hidden Histories, Barne Barton Island Stories, Central Park Timeline Project and given presentations at various community events. 

Richard is a Plymouth local historian originally from London. Whilst at school he was awarded a Gold Medal from the Royal Drawing

Society and is a graduate of Goldsmith College.  He has worked as a cartographer before moving into printing, advertising and illustration.

His love of history started from an early age whilst working with his Grandad and Dad inside some of the old buildings in the area and meeting people that had lived there for generations.  We would know this now as social history

In 1990, he moved to Plymouth, working in the Royal Marine Barracks Stonehouse.  This was when his interest in the Royal Marines and wider Plymouth history grew.  Over the years he has designed some exhibitions, plaques with illustrations, and surveyed historical buildings. For the past few years, he has been leading history walks throughout Plymouth.

Ian is a GP in Buckfastleigh and honorary lecturer at the Medical School.  He has a particular interest in Victorian local history, most recently looking at Medical Practice in Victorian Plymouth.  

He is a Trustee for Ford Park Cemetery and is a contributor to the exhibitions put on at the Visitor Centre there.  Ian was born in Plymouth and educated at Hyde Park and Devonport High School.