Colchester Engineering Society

Towards the end of 1943, during the Second World War, the late Edward P Paxman MA(Cantab) MIMechE, held a number of discussions with leaders of Colchester Engineering firms and the Local Authorities with a view to establishing a Society among the engineering fraternity of the area. From its initial inauguration in 1944 Colchester Engineering Society has had a useful and successful impact on the engineering scene in Colchester and district.

At the First public meeting held in the Colchester Technical College, North Hill on 24 February 1944, Mr. Edward Paxman was installed as Founder President. The names of the elected Founder Members can be seen in the Records. Shown here are the two publications on the Society's History. The first on the 50years 1944 to 1994; The second on the 10years 1994 to 2004 published for the Society's Diamond Jubilee.

Each year the Society organised a Winter Session of Works and other interesting visits, programmes for which are shown in these Records. Subsequently the society has organized programmes of winter lectures and summer visits. A series of exhibitions was also arranged in 1945,1946,1947 and 1948 to illustrate the engineering prowess of the area. These exhibitions attracted much public attention and are well illustrated in these Records

To complement and extend the scope of the lectures and to attract a wider public audience, a decision was taken in 1966 to hold bi-annual lectures to be given on a popular subject with an engineering bias by eminent national lecturers. These lectures arc named the Edward Paxman Lectures in memory of the Society's Founder President who died in March 1949. The first was given in 1967 by Graham Hill. They have been a great success, well attended by enthusiastic audiences.

On the Social side the Society held a Ladies Night and Dance every October, when the Society was generally honoured by the presence of the Mayor and Mayoress and the local Member of Parliament. Photographs and Menu Cards shown in the Archives provide happy memories of these occasions. A less formal but equally successful function, a Supper Dance, was held in March of each year. These were discontinued in 1983 and the Presidents Dinner in October each year took their place.

A close relationship has existed for many years between our Society and the Engineering Societies of Chelmsford and Ipswich.

The Society has been well served by its Presidents and Officers during the course of its existence. Membership has remained fairly constant close to 300 and the Society is financially sound.

Based on extracts from the Society’s Records.