With our Winter – Spring programme in full swing (and available to view, download or print here) I thought it’s time I blog about this week’s talk. With only a handful of tickets remaining, I’d hate anybody to miss out, so do grab yours ASAP if you’d like to come.
I hope you already had a chance to read up on it after the brief preview in my previous post – you may even have looked up the details on our Next Event page (where full information about the next talk is generally posted first) – but in case you haven’t or you rely on emails, blogs, RSS etc here’s what you need to know about February’s PubSci:
Why is London’s River Lea important in the history of explosives, how was Britain’s first satellite launched, and what was Barnes Wallis up to in Waltham Abbey? From 17th century gunpowder to 20th century government secrets, Mark Hardman tells the explosive history of “energetic materials” in Britain through the lens of Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills.
On Wednesday 19th February, PubSci is delighted to welcome Mark Hardman to take us through the discovery of explosive materials and how they developed from simple gunpowder to modern day chemical compounds with uses from mining to munitions and from sparklers to space rockets.
Book now, or read on to learn more. Full details and booking on Eventbrite.
Since the 17th Century, Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills has been at the heart of that story, involving some of the UK’s notable chemists and engineers – including, memorably, Sir Barnes Wallis of Dambusters fame – and it later became a top secret government research facility. As a volunteer at the Mills, as well as a an explosives engineer, Mark is ideally placed to take us on this fascinating journey through chemistry, industry, heritage and spaceflight.
Join us at the Old King’s Head when Mark takes us through the development of “energetic materials” such as explosives and propellants, introduces us to some of the key scientists and engineers who drove that progress, and explains the role Waltham Abbey Mills played in this story, including improving worker safety in a notoriously dangerous industry.
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Today the Mills are a National Heritage visitor attraction and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) open to the public, and Mark will finish his talk by introducing us to the Mills as they are now.
300 years of explosive history (Image courtesy of Waltham Abbey Gunpowder Mills)
PubSci talks are pay-what-you-can, and you can make your contribution when booking on eventbrite or in cash on the night. We are delighted to welcome Mark as the second speaker in our 2025 programme for another round of Sipping, Supping Science… in the pub.
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Join us upstairs at the Old King’s Head, near London Bridge tube. Doors open at 6.30pm for a 7pm start. Talks run for ~45 minutes and are followed by a Q&A session. The Old King’s Head has a happy hour before 7pm, and the kitchen serves excellent pub grub.
We use Eventbrite to manage event numbers. Follow us on Eventbrite to be notified when new tickets become available. Reserve your place for this talk now! PubSci is a pay-what-you-can event – please consider making a donation with your reservation to help us cover our costs.
About the speaker
Mark Hardman is a volunteer at Waltham Abbey Royal Gunpowder Mills (WARGM) – a 170-acre heritage site with over 300 years of making explosives, propellants, and space rocket technology.
In his professional life, he is Secretary General of the European Association for the Safety in production and use of Propellants (EASSP) and board member of the Institute of Explosives Engineers (IExpE).
Prior to early retirement in 2022, Mark spent 8 years with a rocket motor company as UK Managing Director at Roxel and Programmes Director at Roxel Group.
Mark has a BSc in Physics and an MSc in Systems Engineering.
Don’t miss your chance to hear Mark’s talk on Wednesday 19th February.
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To make sure you don’t miss out on future events, subscribe to our Google Calendar to be the first to know when new talks are scheduled and follow PubSci’s events on Eventbrite to be notified when tickets are available. You can also sign up to our own mailing list on any page on this site.
There is no charge for attending PubSci talks, but we have a traditional whip-round to cover expenses – consider it a “Pay What You Can” event. Very few of us carry cash these days, so you can also make a donation when registering for ticketed events with Eventbrite. Please help PubSci continue putting on events. PubSci has no other source of funding.
We aim to keep PubSci accessible for all, although it is unsuitable for under 18s as we meet in the function room of a pub. Regrettably, there is no wheelchair access.
Check out the Future Events page where you can also subscribe to our Google Calendar so PubSci events automatically appear in your own Calendar. You can find all our links on our LinkTree.
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We meet on the third Wednesday of the month, upstairs at the Old King’s Head near London Bridge Underground (Borough High Street east side exit). Join us every month apart from December for a regular dose of Sipping, Supping & Science.
Address:
The Old King’s Head (upstairs room)
King’s Head Yard
45-49 Borough High Street
London SE1 1NA
PubSci 