You may have noticed that the look and feel of the website has changed slightly. This is because we are in the process of upgrading the software on which the website is based – this is a major upgrade involving several software components and a complete replacement of the visual template. We are therefore taking the opportunity to have a refresh, and to bring everything up-to-date in terms of accessibility, mobile device compatibility and so on.
Please bear with us while this work is completed. The main functions of the website should all be working, but there are still several behind-the-scenes upgrades to be made and various tweaks required to get everything fully back online. These will take place over the coming weeks.
If you have any problems using the website or find something not working, please do get in touch.
We are delighted to announce our new season of events, including the Chelmsford Science Festival, social meet-ups and FREE evening lectures at Anglia Ruskin University in Chelmsford!
We have searched near and far for speakers and once again we have a varied and fascinating mix of topics so there is bound to be something of interest for everyone. We would say, though, don't just come to the talks that appeal to you, often the most interesting topics are those you may think are "not my thing".
So, what's in store?
25 April 2024 was the 150th anniversary of the birth of Guglielmo Marconi, inventor of radio and to whom the city of Chelmsford owes much of its industrial heritage.
Marconi set up the first factory for his Wireless Telegraph & Signal Company in Hall Street, Chelmsford in 1898. The work that took place there (and other sites subsequently) changed the world, completely revolutionising how we communicate with each other, entertain the population and sense the world around us. Find out more by reading this BBC article by CSES member Tim Wander.
The history of CSES, which had its centenary in 2020, is closely linked to the history of the Marconi Company. In its earliest days, the society was a meeting of engineers from the major companies based in Chelmsford, including Marconi's. You can read more about our history here.
We mark this occasion in collaboration with the Museo Marconi, Bologna, Italy, who are holding a special celebration event, further details of which can be found here.
A packed programme for everyone to look forward to
We are delighted to announce that our 2023-2024 season is taking shape, with (nearly) all the talks for the year now confirmed, the socials for the remainder of 2023 in the diary (more to follow!) and other highlights such as the Chelmsford Science Festival on the horizon.
We are also pleased to be jointly hosting a STEM Conference with Drapers' Academy at Chelmsford Cathedral (15 Nov), and to be able to offer a unique opportunity for students to hear a talk by the former Head of Technology at British Cycling (6 Dec)! Looking forward to 2024, we will be running TEXPO and Do & Discover as usual, and at various careers fairs and other events.
Keep an eye on the events page of our website for the latest programme. Members can receive email updates with all the latest news and invitations, so if you haven't yet joined the society but are thinking about it, we would encourage you to do so now! It's an easy, online process – free for students/teachers and only £12 a year for everyone else.
Read on for the events in the calendar so far.
Our flagship weekend returns for the Chelmsford Festival
Do & Discover 2023 • ARU & The Meadows • 17-18 June
Click here to find out all the details
Our weekend of fun experimental activities for all the family is back! Join CSES and its partners for a full weekend of FREE hands-on discovery across the city of Chelmsford. Taking place across both days at ARU and the Meadows Shopping Centre, we invite you to Do something fun and Discover the wonders of science and innovation in Chelmsford.
There will be loads of hands-on activities for families and children, including AI music, live satellite tracking, a full Raspberry Jam (tech and coding), science experiments, engineering challenges, craft activities and making your own radios.
Pre-booking is advised for Make Your Own Radio – see the event page to book
An exhibition (featuring a live link between the two locations!) will tell the amazing story of how Chelmsford connected and changed the world.
And this year, we are delighted to feature a Hearing Lab and Brain Hub, where you will get to find out what it's like to wear a hearing aid, control a phone with your mind and test yourself with some dementia-friendly games.
Pre-booking is advised for the Saturday Brain Hub – see the event page to book
To round off the Saturday, ARU will be hosting the finale of the Chelmsford Radio Drama Festival in the evening. Just over 100 years ago, Chelmsford introduced the concept of radio entertainment to the world. Come and listen to the premiere of an exciting new work being recorded for broadcast later this year.
So tell everyone, bring your family and friends, and join us for a weekend of doing and discovering!
Vic Leverett OBE, Past President
Vic Leverett, who has died aged 78, was a former President, recent trustee and active committee member of CSES. From 2009 until his death, Vic was instrumental in modernising the society, raising its profile and building partnerships across Essex to bring science and technology to everyone. His work has had a lasting impact, felt by a lot of people in both the public and private sectors.
After sponsored studies, Vic enjoyed a long and illustrious career at the English Electric Valve company (EEV), now Teledyne e2v, from where he became involved with CSES.
Roger Pittock, a colleague of Vic's at EEV and latterly a good friend and fellow CSES trustee, reflects on their time together, in a celebration of Vic's life.
Helen Sharman's talk one of many 'out of this world' Chelmsford Science Festival events
The first British astronaut, Helen Sharman OBE, will give a headline talk at the inaugural Chelmsford Science Festival, taking place across the city between 12-18 October and organised by Anglia Ruskin University (ARU).
During her talk on Tuesday, 18 October, Helen will explain how, in May 1991, she spent eight days orbiting the Earth after being chosen from a pool of 13,000 applicants. As part of the selection process, she undertook rigorous psychological and medical assessments, and had to train intensively for 18 months to prepare her body for the harsh environment of space.
The talk will take place at Chelmsford Cathedral in front of the spectacular Gaia installation, which will be on display throughout the festival.
Helen's talk is just one of several fascinating and free events at the festival, which will feature world-leading experts speaking about issues ranging from the future of work to the secrets of visual short-term memory, and from the science of getting fit to how nano-technology can benefit all aspects of our lives.
The festival also features a free Family Science Day taking place at ARU's Chelmsford campus from 10am until 4pm on Saturday, 15 October, featuring hands-on and fun activities for people of all ages. As well as activities from CSES, people will have the chance to meet Titan the Robot, see shows from Cloud Factory and Bubble Superstars, and even experience a different body through virtual reality.
Read more: First Briton in space leads extravaganza of science
Return of talks and socials for the new season
Now that the worst of the Covid pandemic is behind us, and following the success of events over the summer such as Do and Discover and our Schools' TEXPO (see our COMPRESS newsletter for further information if you're interested), we are delighted to be returning to a full talks and social programme, alongside some new (regular) flagship events for families and the public.
It's still early days and we are still ramping back up – as are our partners such as the IOP, IET and IMechE – so please keep an eye out for new dates added to the diary over the coming months.
Read on for the events in the calendar so far.
Throughout June and July 2022, ARU hosted a special exhibition showcasing Chelmsford innovation from the last 100 years to the present day.
Chelmsford has been a world-renowned centre of scientific and technological innovation for well over 100 years, and still is today. Among other things, Chelmsford is home to the world's first wireless (later radio) factory, the world's first river water treatment plant and the world's first colour digital camera – and that's just from within the last century. Today, companies in Chelmsford continue to build the technology of the future, with high-tech developments in fields as diverse as space, healthcare, communications and defence. The impact of industry in Chelmsford on all of our lives is incredible.
A collaboration between ARU, CSES, Chelmsford Civic Society and the Marconi Veterans' Association, this exhibition told a part of that story, revealing how household names such as Marconi are echoed in the modern age.
Update 3 July: Functionality for online registration is restored. There is still an issue with the generation of links in some automated emails (especially event reminders), which we are continuing to investigate with the software developers. A fix should be in place for the start of the 2022-2023 events programme.
Update 15 July: We have had to migrate the server on an emergency basis to a new facility. Users should notice no change, and everything appears to be working as normal, but please advise if there are any issues.
If you experience any issues using the website, please Contact the Webmaster (technical support) with any relevant screenshots and the exact date/time that the problem occurred.
Thank you for your patience.
- CSES at the Chelmsford Festival
- CSES Summer 2022 Programme
- Celebrating 100 years of radio broadcast
- Chelmsford Innovation: Marconi and Beyond
- CSES Spring 2022 Programme: Talks, dinner and new book
- CSES Curry Evening to celebrate 2MT/BBC Centenary
- British Science Week 2022
- International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2022
- Programme launch 2021-2022
- CSES on show at British Science Festival