Taking his inspiration from the new book, “The Driffield Town Trail”, member Harry Houldsworth introduced his fellow Augustinians to some of the buildings included, looking at both the architecture and the social history they represent.

Harry was asked to update the 1981 Driffield town trail just as Covid struck.  The original had 11 pages; the new book has 120 pages.  As he wandered through the near empty streets of the town he discovered that much had changed over those years.  Harry acknowledged the valuable information he got from books by Peter Howorth, Stephen Harrison, and Mike Wynn.

An outline of the history of Driffield followed. The town is Anglian in origin and mentioned in the Doomsday Book.  But even by Georgian times it had a low population and played second fiddle to the much more prosperous Kilham before blossoming in the 1800’s.

Harry then took a sample of the buildings in the book comprising inns and hotels, churches and chapels, schools and meeting rooms, shops and family houses.  He showed how they reflected the social and business changes over the last 300 years.

Members were left wanting to hear more, always a sign of an excellent lecture.

The Vote of thanks was given by Sarah Ryalls.