Talks Archive
Programme 2021 - 2022
Æthelstan: the first king of Britain?
by Canon Professor Sarah Foot
Date: Saturday 28 September 2024
This talk explores the reign of Æthelstan (924-39) and his claims to hegemony over all the peoples of Britain.
Stonehenge in the 20th century: the modern story of an ancient monument
by Susan Greaney
Date: Saturday 12 October 2024
The changing history of Stonehenge: private to public ownership, conservation and restoration, excavation and presentation
The experiences of Scottish migrants in Imperial Russia
by Michael Davidson
Date: Saturday 26 October 2024
The Scottish diaspora in Britain and its Empire is well recognised; less so those Scots who travelled to East Europe and Russia
Elfrida, The First Crowned Queen of England
by Dr Elizabeth Norton
Date: Saturday 9 November 2024
This talk focusses on the life and queenship of Elfrida, a leading 10th century figure
The Wars of 9/11
by General Sir Robert Fry
Date: Saturday 23 November 2024
The wars that started as a result of the attacks on the World Trade Centre on 11th September 2001, including the invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, proved divisive and inconclusive and have defined the time in which we live.
Refugees and the History of the 20th Century
by Professor Peter Gatrell
Date: Saturday 7 December 2024
The plight of refugees has again become a dominant focus of public debate as it was in the aftermath of both World Wars
‘Deeds not Words’: The Militant Suffragette Movement and My Lancashire Grandmother
by Dr. Jane Crozier
Date: Saturday 6 January 2024
An exploration of the final years, 1903 – 1914, in the fight for women’s suffrage, using a piece of family history to illuminate the bigger picture
From Caravels to Carnations
by Christopher Massy-Beresford
Date: Saturday 20 January 2024
The development of Portugal’s trading empire over three centuries and its sudden end only 45 years ago
Britain’s Gurkhas, Their Place in Our History and Our Future
by Colonel David G Hayes CBE
Date: Saturday 3 February 2024
The Gurkhas are the most feared and respected body of fighting men in the British Army. This talk traces their history from their origins in Nepal in 1815 though to their current operations
Sugar
by Professor James Walvin
Date: Saturday 17 February 2024
How was sugar transformed from a luxury, to a necessity, then, more recently, to a global health problem – all via the history of slavery?
From Nowhere to Normandy
by Richard Folkes OBE
Date: Sunday 3 March 2024
The extraordinary creation of the British assault glider-borne force in only three years during WWII, culminating in the coup de main at Pegasus Bridge on D-Day.
‘Cherry’ Ingram—The Englishman Who Saved Japan’s Blossoms
by Naoko Abe
Date: Sunday 17 March 2024
The story of the eccentric Edwardian who introduced cherry blossoms to the West and created new varieties
