Talks Archive
Programme 2018 - 2019
Lies, Spies and Surprises: Berlin in the Cold War
by Major General Peter Williams CMG OBE
Date: Tuesday 25 September 2018
A look-back at what made Berlin such a mysterious and intriguing city during the Cold War
Alberto Bioletti. Soldier of Napoleon and Master Clockmaker of Wincanton
by John Baxter
Date: Tuesday 9 October 2018
The incredible life of the Italian soldier who survived campaigns in Italy, Egypt, Haiti and Russia before settling in Wincanton.
The Foundation of Taunton and Somerset Hospital, 1809-1812
by Michael Davidson
Date: Tuesday 23 October 2018
The Foundation of Taunton and Somerset Hospital (1809 – 1812), “A community effort, civic humanism in action”
The Durotriges – New Research
by Dr Martin Papworth
Date: Tuesday 6 November 2018
A fresh look at the late Iron Age communities in Dorset
What was Medieval Chivalry really about?
by Professor Nigel Saul
Date: Tuesday 20 November 2018
The lecture will explore some of the myths about medieval chivalry, arguing that its essence lay principally in the humane treatment of one another by the knightly class in battle.
Sherborne: the last 160 years in photographs
by Graham Bendell
Date: Tuesday 4 December 2018
A look at how the town has changed, or not, through images held in Sherborne Museum’s collection of photographs.
The Titanic: dispelling the myths
by Tim Maltin
Date: Thursday 10 January 2019
The history of the Titanic and the tragic events of 15th April 1912, dispelling a number of myths along the way.
Exeter Cathedral: The early years
by Professor Sarah Hamilton
Date: Thursday 24 January 2019
The early history of Exeter Cathedral up to the end of the twelfth century
William Sleeman and the East India Company
by Miranda Carter
Date: Thursday 7 February 2019
Born in Stratton, Cornwall in 1779, Sleeman is known as the army officer and civil servant who suppressed the Thugs uprisings in India.
“The Bird in the Cage”: Sir Walter Ralegh and Henry, Prince of Wales
by Professor Tim Wilks
Date: Thursday 21 February 2019
An illustrated talk on the dangerous relationship between the condemned and imprisoned Elizabethan hero and the young Stuart heir.
The Impact of Famine & Plague in the 14th-Century West Country: Evidence from the Vale of Taunton Deane
by Dr Christopher Thornton, FSA, FRHistS
Date: Thursday 7 March 2019
The ‘Great Famine’ (c.1315) and the ‘Black Death’ (c.1348) contributed to a fundamental historical turning point: how can we measure the impact on population levels of these two disasters?
Claretta Petacci and Benito Mussolini: a Fascist love story
by Professor Richard Bosworth
Date: Thursday 21 March 2019
A review of what Mussolini’s ‘last lover’ and her extensive diary reveal of life, family, Catholicism and politics in the ‘Italian dictatorship’