This Harwich Society talk will really happen – Honestly!
The final monthly talk of the Harwich Society’s Winter programme 25-26 will take place at the Navigator, Barrack Lane, Harwich on Friday 27th March, almost 100 years to the day since possibly the biggest hoax ever to involve our town.
There was national newspaper coverage advertising the opening of a vehicle tunnel beneath Harwich Harbour from Harwich to Felixstowe with the gala event taking place on Saturday 3rd April 1926. The only problem was that the tunnel did not exist!
Our guest speaker, Andrew Summers, will tell the story of how plans for such a tunnel were discussed by Harwich Borough Council, how invitations for the opening were sent out by an unknown source and how around 300 vehicles arrived in Harwich to be amongst the first to drive beneath Harwich Harbour from Essex to Suffolk.
Chairman of the Harwich Society, Andy Schooler, says, “This winter’s programme of monthly talks has been excellent and our members have been entertained on a wide range of interesting and informative topics. However, ending with a talk on ‘the great Harwich hoax’ within a week of its centenary is the perfect way to end our winter programme.”
The talk is free of charge to all Harwich Society members and will commence at 7.30PM. Light refreshments will be available and there will be a raffle.
“This really is a quite remarkable story and Andrew Summers will bring it to life for us within a few yards of the road that all of those cars drove along to reach the tunnel that never was,” continued Andy Schooler. “As our volunteers prepare to welcome visitors for our 2026 Summer season we will learn about the hundreds of visitors who unexpectedly arrive in 1926 without anyone being on hand to welcome them!”
For further information please contact:
Press Officer, Garry Calver on 01255 551940