SIGN UP NOW for the 150th Anniversary Meeting!
Saturday 7th November 2026 (10:00-17:00)
Sunday 8th November 2026 (10:00-13:00)
Leeds City Museum
Members and guests are invited to take part in a special meeting to celebrate 150 years since our Society was born in Leeds in 1876.
The weekend will include a variety of talks, exhibits and other activities on the Society’s past, present and future, plus chances to socialise and have fun. Be prepared to have fun and to dress up – there will be a group photograph, and a prize for wearing the best conchological garment!
Due to the size of the venue, spaces at the event are limited to 70 each day. On the Saturday lunch will be provided by the Herbarium Café at the Museum.
There will also be an evening meal at Browns, near the Museum, on the Saturday. The evening meal is strictly limited to 40 spaces, so book early to avoid disappointment. A £10 non-refundable deposit is required for the evening meal.
It is ESSENTIAL to book your attendance at the event using Eventbrite, at the link below. This will also allow you to register exhibits or posters, and notify us of dietary requirements.
Please note that the meeting will begin at 10:00 each day, although the main Museum is not open until 11:00 on weekends.
We plan to allow online attendance by streaming the presentations via Zoom. A link will be sent to members by email. We have not yet confirmed whether recordings will be made available. Check the Society’s website for updates.
CURRENT PROGRAMME
Saturday 7th November
10:10 Ben Rowson Welcome
10:20 Imogen Cavadino TALK INNS and Horizon Scanning overview
10:40 Nathaniel Crook TALK From mantle to shell pattern: how mantle morphology shapes the blue-rayed limpet’s stripes
11:00 Robert Cameron TALK 17 years since the Evolution MegaLab: the spread of Cepaea nemoralis and its polymorphism
11:40 Peter Topley TALK CSGBI 50 years ago: centenary year 1976
12:00 Clive Walton TALK Royal Zoological Society of Scotland Omphiscola glabra conservation programme
12:20 Anna Holmes TALK Non-native marine bivalves in Britain & Ireland
14:20 Robert Forsyth TALK Journal of Conchology / own research
14:40 Tony Abrehart TALK Anisus vorticulus breeding
15:00 Louise Lavictoire TALK FBA and the Freshwater Pearl Mussel over 150 years
15:40 Graham Oliver TALK Barcoding bivalves in Kuwait
16:00 Angus Davison TALK Colour polymorphism in Cepaea and Polymita
16:20 Brett Westwood TALK Putting Out Feelers - exploring the world of molluscs
Sunday 8th November
10:10 Simon Taylor TALK Recent recording in Scotland/marine recording
10:30 Brian Goodwin TALK Founder William Nelson - the odd man out
10:50 Mags Cousins TALK Reviewing the threat status of non-marine molluscs, GB
11:30 John Hutchinson TALK Histories of the large Arion slugs in Britain and continental Europe; tales told by the mtDNA
11:50 Nina Hundt WORKSHOP What do we want from our website and how do we do it?
12:20 Ben Rowson PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS How might Conch Soc look in 25 years' time?