(Simon Camper / Lumen Photography)

7.30 pm Friday September 12th 2025

David is renowned as a brilliant speaker and story-teller and makes a much-anticipated return to the Talks

A former Curator of Timekeeping at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, he has spoken previously on several aspects of time. For his latest Talk, David has moved away from time and will be telling the amazing story of the race to make the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic.

In his sensational new book, The Big Hop, David details how, in Newfoundland in 1919, an unwieldy aircraft, buffeted by winds, struggled to take to the air. Cramped side by side in its open cockpit were two men, freezing cold, but resolute. They had a dream - to be the first in human history to fly, non-stop, across the Atlantic Ocean. But there were three other teams competing against them in the race

The young aviators who would get off the ground had already defied death many times during World War One but David’s evocative account shows how it was their thrilling wartime experiences that ultimately led them to the "Big Hop" and brought old friends together for one more daring adventure.

These Atlantic pioneers were not scientists or upper-class officers. They were ordinary men, risking their lives in the name of progress, who ultimately ushered in the age of global connection in which we live now.

Some of the stellar reviews of The Big Hop:

“An engrossing account … a delectable serving of escapist nostalgia, a heroic adventure story perfect for a time when genuine heroes are few … This book was a joy to read” - The Times (Book of the Week)

“A glorious romp through an overlooked part of aviation history, stuffed full of intriguing characters and white-knuckle courage” - Sunday Times

“A true-life thriller … the accumulating tension of a whodunnit … The Big Hop reminded me of a John Buchan novel. Rooney has Buchan’s knack for acute imagery … and for spare, compelling action scenes" - The Observer

“I haven’t been under the spell of a book about dangerous journeys since reading David Grann’s spectacular The Wager … Rooney comes into his own as a master of suspense … a sure-footed combination of technical detail, lively characterisation and artful narrative structure that keeps the tension going until the final pages … a splendid book” - Literary Review

David took up a traineeship in 1995 at the Science Museum, where he first encountered the aeroplane that completed the Big Hop in 1919. Over an almost thirty-year career, David has curated timekeeping, transport and engineering collections at institutions from the National Maritime Museum to the Science Museum, bringing historical stories vividly alive.

"It is 30 years since I first walked beneath the canvas wings of an ungainly biplane and wondered what must have possessed two young men to fly it across the Atlantic. Writing this book is my way of paying tribute to the pioneers of aviation – men and women from all walks of life – who risked everything: for freedom, for progress - and for us"

If you are interested in attending this talk or would like to reserve a ticket please Contact us

Children over 16 welcome. Entry to the event in St Mary's Church, with an upgraded sound-system, is £10 in cash and includes free food, featuring delicious sandwiches and sumptuous rocky-roads., with wine and soft drinks available for a modest donation (all profits to Ukraine).

 Cards can be used to buy copies of The Big Hop.