Talks Archive
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’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?
“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.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 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.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.
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.The Durotriges – New Research
by Dr Martin Papworth
Date: Tuesday 6 November 2018
A fresh look at the late Iron Age communities in DorsetThe 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”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.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 WarWilton House - The Russian Connection
by Ros Liddington
Date: Thursday 22 March 2018
The Russian Connection: Sometimes a drop of foreign blood has been shown to make a difference!Royal Saxony
by Frank Pattison
Date: Thursday 8 March 2018
Journey through the history of Saxony from the 5th Century to the present.The Plague 2000BC to 2000AD
by Dr. Tim Mason
Date: Thursday 22 February 2018
Plague: The very word is inclined to strike fear into the heart but what is it, where did it come from and is it still about?The Dorset Regiment
by Christopher Copson
Date: Thursday 8 February 2018
The history of the Dorset Regiment from the eighteenth to the twentieth century, including the significance of the First World WarThe Unification of Italy 1871
by Professor David Laven
Date: Thursday 25 January 2018
New look at the Unification of Italy and its inherent problemsKing Canute (Cnut)
by Dr Ken Lawson
Date: Thursday 11 January 2018
Denmark, England and the Conquest of 1016
Claret
by David Copp
Date: Tuesday 12 December 2017
The history of the English love affair with Bordeaux wine.Egypt’s Valley of the Kings: ancient tombs and recent discoveries
by Dr Patricia Spencer
Date: Tuesday 28 November 2017
This talk will look at the development and history of the burial place of some of ancient Egypt’s greatest pharaohs.What are the historical roots of today’s toxic sectarianism in the Middle East?
by John McHugo
Date: Tuesday 7 November 2017
The story of the ancient Sunni-Shi'i divide, and why it became important again after the Iranian revolution and then turbo-charged after the 2003 invasion of IraqGeneral Sir Richard McCreery: the Last Great Cavalryman
by Richard Mead
Date: Tuesday 24 October 2017
Dick McCreery, who had a close association with Sherborne throughout his life, was one of the great British soldiers of World War II, as a brigade commander in France in 1940, Chief of Staff to Field Marshal Alexander in North Africa and finally as the last Commander of Eighth Army in Italy.Storms, War and Shipwrecks - Treasures from the Sicilian Seas
by Professor Paul Roberts
Date: Tuesday 10 October 2017
Presentation about Roman finds from shipwrecks in the Mediterranean.Edward I
by Dr Marc Morris
Date: Tuesday 26 September 2017
An overview of the career of one of the greatest English kings of the Middle Ages, his impact on the British Isles, and a legacy of division which continues to this dayLady Margaret Beaufort, the 'Red Queen'
by Dr Mark Nicholls
Date: Thursday 23 March 2017
Margaret Beaufort (1443-1509), unofficial ‘Queen Mother' for her son Henry VII, was an eminent background figure in the Wars of the Roses and a great educational benefactress to Cambridge and Wimborne.
Tudor Women in Foxe’s Book of Martyrs
by Dr Roberta Anderson
Date: Thursday 9 March 2017
What John Foxe’s Book of Martyrs tells us about commemorating religious persecution under Mary I and Tudor women and religion
Russian Apocalypse: the tragedy of the last Romanovs
by Peter Warwick
Date: Thursday 23 February 2017
The momentous events in Russia 100 years ago are retold by one of our most popular speakers
Ernest Bevin: from Devon Farm Boy to Foreign Secretary
by Professor Andrew Thorpe
Date: Thursday 9 February 2017
From humble south-west origins, Ernest Bevin rose to become a minister in Churchill’s war cabinet and Labour Foreign Secretary 1945-51
Better than Church: the history of pubs and brewing in Sherborne
by Barry Brock
Date: Thursday 26 January 2017
This illustrated talk traces a vital theme in the economic and social history of our town.
The First World War and the Church of England in Oxfordshire
by Dr Mark Smith
Date: Thursday 12 January 2017
A new interpretation of the local impact of war on the Church as seen through the eyes of the clergy
Historical Pageants: from Sherborne 1905 to Olympic Stadium 2012
by Professor Paul Readman
Date: Tuesday 6 December 2016
Members’ Christmas Evening
Twentieth century historical pageantry, from its origins in Sherborne to the 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony.
The Samanids, rulers of Central Asia: Art and culture
by Dr Katherine Hughes
Date: Tuesday 22 November 2016
This illustrated talk will introduce the dynasty of the Samanids, rulers of an Early Islamic empire (819-1005 AD) covering modern-day Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, and parts of Iran.
Apothecaries, Pills and Potions: the history of dispensing
by Professor Tilli Tansey
Date: Tuesday 8 November 2016
This talk tells the fascinating story of pills and potions since 1850.Tombs and Brasses of Medieval England
by Professor Nigel Saul
Date: Tuesday 25 October 2016
New Members’ Reception
An overview of the types of tombs and brasses to have come down to us from medieval England illustrated as far as possible from examples in Somerset and Wiltshire.
Without Let or Hindrance: the story of passports
by Martin Lloyd
Date: Tuesday 11 October 2016
The evolution of an indispensable, if sometimes taken-for-granted, document.
China, the Modern Nation
by Jane Macartney
Date: Tuesday 27 September 2016
In the 20th century few countries experienced such dramatic political, social and cultural change as China. The recently retired China Foreign Correspondent for The Times is well placed to offer an exciting new account of its recent history.
The Earls of Pembroke and the Ladies Who Made a Difference!
by Ros Liddington
Date: Thursday 31 March 2016
The ladies are so often the movers and shakers in aristocratic families. Starting with Ann Parr, wife of the first Earl of Pembroke and sister of Catherine Parr, a steady succession of wives and daughters influenced the history of the family and its home in many different ways.
History in Our Town’s Schools
by Six Students
Date: Thursday 17 March 2016
In a repeat of a successful event first held two years ago, sixth formers from our local senior schools will speak about their favourite historical personalities and themes.
A Chronicle of Country Life – the Photographs of James Ravilious
by Robin Ravilious
Date: Thursday 3 March 2016
The widow of artist James Ravilious shares with us her husband’s legacy of exquisite photographs of North Devon farming communities in the 1960s and 1970s. Taken to preserve a vanishing world, these are poignant and memorable images.
Henry III and the Building of Westminster Abbey
by Professor David Carpenter
Date: Thursday 18 February 2016
The leading authority on Henry III explains in this illustrated talk why the art-loving king rebuilt Westminster in such spectacular style as a coronation church and royal mausoleum.
Magna Carta
by Professor Nicholas Vincent
Date: Thursday 4 February 2016
The ‘Great Charter of Liberties’ sealed by King John at Runnymede in 1215 is seen as laying the foundations of British democracy. What led to this concession by John and why did a medieval political crisis plant the seeds of today’s freedoms?
Sherborne and the First World War
by Patrick Francis
Date: Thursday 21 January 2016
The author of Vivat Shirburnia traces the surprisingly wide-ranging, often tragic, impact of the Great War on the local communities of Sherborne Town and Sherborne School.
Medieval Music and Instruments
by Jonathan Weeks
Date: Tuesday 8 December 2015
Delightful sounds together with fascinating cultural and social insights are guaranteed for this Members’ Christmas Entertainment evening.
Social Realism in Victorian Painting
by Julian Halsby
Date: Tuesday 24 November 2015
Dickens lays bare Victorian Society, warts and all, but what about Victorian artists? This lecture will debate how far and for what reasons artists went in search of ‘realism’ and how realistic their paintings actually were.
The Story of Tea
by Nick Berthoud
Date: Tuesday 10 November 2015
This illustrated talk covers the social history of tea, the practices surrounding its use and, through this, the history of British society as a whole.
Dorset Heroines
by David Beaton
Date: Tuesday 27 October 2015
An illustrated talk about the women living in Dorset who contributed to the county’s history, culture and folklore down the ages
The History of Gunpowder
by Dr Brenda Buchanan
Date: Tuesday 13 October 2015
A wide-ranging illustrated talk from the editor of the two-volume collection of articles Gunpowder: The History of an International Technology
The Modern History of the Castle
by Christopher Moule
Date: Tuesday 22 September 2015
This illustrated lecture will explore the uses (and abuses) of castles from the close of the medieval period until modern times.
Sir Walter Raleigh
by Dr Mark Nicholls
Date: Thursday 19 March 2015
The famous Elizabethan (and resident of Sherborne) is put under the spotlight of modern research
Ramsay MacDonald: Traitor or Hero?
by Professor Andrew Thorpe
Date: Sunday 15 March 2015
‘Ramsay Mac’ led Labour into its first Governments (1924 & 1929-31) but also to the disastrous 1931 split. He then headed the National Government (1931-5). Can he be forgiven by History?
Lady of the Palms and Paddy Fields: The life and work of Diana Ruth Wilson (1886-1969)
by Elizabeth Bletsoe
Date: Sunday 15 February 2015
A Sherborne Watercolourist in early 20th century, who made remarkable botanical drawings in India as a pioneer scientist and conservationist.
Women in the RNLI
by Sue Hennessy
Date: Thursday 5 February 2015
The hitherto unknown story of the heroic role of women in saving lives at sea
Religion in 18th century England
by Dr Colin Haydon
Date: Thursday 22 January 2015
A key century of change was shaped by the Church of England, developments in Roman Catholicism and Non-conformity and the continuing strength of popular superstition and magic
Cecil Beaton: My Fashionable Life
by Dr Ben Wild
Date: Sunday 11 January 2015
Beaton's personal style and legacy to 20th century male fashion are analysed in this pioneering talk by a member of the History Department of Sherborne School
Good King Hal (Henry VIII)
by Mike Farley
Date: Tuesday 9 December 2014
Living History --- memorable Christmas Entertainment from a talented local Henry VIII 'look-alike' re-enactor
Surgery during the Napoleonic Wars
by Mick Crumplin
Date: Tuesday 25 November 2014
Himself a retired Surgeon, with a life-long interest in surgey during the Napoleonic Wars, Mick Crumplin delivers an exciting talk highlighting the reality of war
Turnpikes and Coaching Days
by Rob Curtis
Date: Tuesday 11 November 2014
The thrills and spills of travel in the South West before the modern era!
Who’s coming from where? Different perspectives on the English Reformation
by Canon Eric Woods, Vicar of Sherborne
Date: Tuesday 28 October 2014
This great religious, social and political revolution in sixteenth century England has been totally re-written by modern Historians. How? And why?
(NB The text of Canon Eric Wood's talk is included below)
The Norman Conquest
by Dr Marc Morris
Date: Tuesday 14 October 2014
Not only the famous events of 1066 will be re-examined but also their wider impact on England’s development.
Pompeii
by Dr Paul Roberts
Date: Tuesday 23 September 2014
A fascinating insight emerges into everyday life in the Roman Empire's best preserved city
'Murder in the Balkans' - marking the hundredth anniversary of the start of the First World War.
by Tim Butcher
Date: Thursday 20 March 2014
The talk will focus on the assassination of the Hapsburg Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand and the person who committed it. It will also look at the Balkan background.
The Battle of Lewes (1264)
by David Carpenter
Date: Thursday 6 March 2014
What does Lewes, which saw the defeat of Henry III, tell us about aristocratic behaviour and political ideas in England in the High Middle Ages?
Skirt dancing, Can-.Can and the invention of "Gay Paree" - 1840-1914
by Jonathan Conlin
Date: Thursday 20 February 2014
A closer look at the history of the "French national dance" reveals a story of cross-Channel exchange and London's forgotten contribution to the invention of "Gay Paree".
Let no one forget. Let nothing be forgotten
by Peter Warwick
Date: Thursday 6 February 2014
Over 1.3 million civilians starved to death in Leningrad between 1941 and 1943. The lecture uncovers the facts of this little-known tragedy and proposes that the people prevailed because of the strength of Russian Orthodoxy.
Godfrey Place VC – An Exceptional Naval Officer
by Paul Watkins
Date: Thursday 23 January 2014
Lieutenant Godfrey Place was in command of the Midget Submarine X7 when it attacked the German Battleship Tirpitz in September 1943 – ‘one of the most audacious and gallant acts in the annals of the Royal Navy’.
Children of the Holocaust
by Susan Francis
Date: Thursday 9 January 2014
The talk will give a brief survey of the ways in which childrens’ lives were affected - drawing on some individual stories to illustrate this.
Victorian church restoration and its problems
by Dr Mark Smith
Date: Tuesday 10 December 2013
The Victorian period saw a revolution in the world of Anglican worship transforming completely the way it looked, sounded and even smelt.
Behind The Wall – Living with Communism in East Germany
by Major General Sir Robert Corbett
Date: Tuesday 26 November 2013
What was life really like in the country ruled by a dictator – Erich Honecker - separated from us by the Iron Curtain and, in its capital, Berlin, by the Wall?
Spain: the birth of a Modern Nation
by Chris Pollard
Date: Tuesday 12 November 2013
The lecture concentrates on 20th century Spanish history, including the Civil War, Franco and then the remarkable transition to a modern democratic nation.
American Involvement in the English Civil War
by Adrian Tinniswood
Date: Tuesday 29 October 2013
The contribution of American colonists to the English Civil War.
Castles as they were meant to be seen
by Christopher Moule
Date: Tuesday 24 September 2013
Castles as they were meant to be seen
The search for the Durotriges – Dorset and the West Country in the Late Iron Age
by Martin Papworth
Date: Thursday 21 March 2013
Who were these people, who, 2000 years ago, built great hillforts like Maiden Castle and Badbury Rings? How did they respond to the Roman Conquest and how did they adapt to Roman occupation? Were the Durotriges a united tribe or a series of differing communities that gradually banded together to form a confederacy?
The Exiled Collector
by Anne Sebba
Date: Thursday 7 March 2013
In her lecture Anne Sebba, biographer of William Bankes : 'the Exiled Collector’, will talk about William as a serious collector of Ancient Egyptian artefacts and Spanish paintings as well as some fine - and some less fine - Italian decorative art. She will also discuss the high price he paid for the Victorian morality which judged him.
The Great Stink
by Dr Stephen Halliday
Date: Thursday 21 February 2013
In the sweltering summer of 1858 the Great Stink of sewage from the polluted Thames drove MPs from the Chamber of the House of Commons. Parliament had to act - drastic measures were required to clean the Thames and improve London's primitive sewage system. The engineer entrusted with this task was Sir Joseph Bazalgette
Plant hunters and pioneers
by Caradoc Doy
Date: Thursday 7 February 2013
The Story of the Veitch Nurseries of Exeter & Chelsea. They were the first commercial nursery in Britain to sponsor their own plant collectors. This illustrated talk highlights some of the well-known and interesting plants introduced by this important firm
The Representation of the People Act (1918) and the coming of Democracy to Britain
by Professor Andrew Thorpe
Date: Thursday 24 January 2013
The landmark '1918 Representation of the People Act' brought mass democracy to Britain for the first time. This lecture will explain why this Act was passed in 1918 and will also set it into the longer-run context of Parliamentary Reform Acts from 1832 onwards.
Lady Butler: Battles Artist
by Felicity Herring
Date: Thursday 10 January 2013
In 1874, this genteel Victorian Lady sent a painting of the Crimean War to the Royal Academy where it was an outstanding success. From then on she almost exclusively painted battle scenes from Waterloo to Afghanistan and WW1
Court Life in 13th Century England
by Dr Ben Wild
Date: Tuesday 11 December 2012
The talk will seek to offer some new interpretations on Henry III's reign by focusing on the politics of the royal court.
Commander Ian Fleming – Naval Intelligence
by Kathy McNally
Date: Tuesday 27 November 2012
Ian Fleming’s role in WW2’s secret operations was ‘equal to the most fantastic inventions of romance and melodrama’ according to Winston Churchill. Kathy McNally tells of Fleming’s role.
The Brookes of Sarawak and the British North Borneo Company
by Adrian Thorpe
Date: Tuesday 13 November 2012
For 100 years Sarawak, a part of Borneo the size of England, was ruled as an independent state by an English family – the White Rajahs of Sarawak. Adrian Thorpe knows Sarawak well and in his illustrated lecture will tell the story of this unique country
Empires of the Sea: the Mediterranean in the Sixteenth Century
by Roger Crowley
Date: Tuesday 23 October 2012
In the sixteenth century the Mediterranean became the battleground for an epic maritime struggle between the Ottoman Empire and Christian Europe. This illustrated talk will explore a contest for the Middle Sea that was at the same time imperial, religious and economic.
Alan Turing - Bletchley Park Codebreaker
by Dr Mark Baldwin
Date: Tuesday 9 October 2012
2012 is the centenary of the birth of Alan Turing. Using an unrivalled collection of slides, Dr Baldwin will explain the workings of the Enigma machine. The presentation will be followed by a demonstration of a rare 1944 4-rotor Enigma machine.
Merchandise, Merriment and Middens: an odyssey through the 18th century streets of Sherborne
by George Tatham
Date: Tuesday 25 September 2012
This talk will consider aspects of the cultural, social and economic experience of living in 18th century Sherborne with its market, industries, shops, inns and two provincial newspapers.
Berlin and the Fall of The Wall - Days That Changed The World - a Personal Reflection
by Major General Sir Robert Corbett
Date: Thursday 22 March 2012
General Corbett was the twenty-first, and last, British Commandant in Berlin at the time of the fall of the Wall and the collapse of Communism. As the person with the ultimate legislative and executive responsibility in the British Sector of the divided City - epicentre of change in 1989-90 - he is able to provide a unique insight into many of the extraordinary events that occurred during this pivotal moment in history.
‘My God this is an awful place’
by Peter Warwick
Date: Thursday 8 March 2012
March 2012 is the 100th anniversary of the death of Captain Robert Falcon Scott Royal Navy and this lecture is the heroic story of his fatal Terra Nova expedition to the South Pole. Peter assesses Scott’s leadership abilities and challenge the popular view that he was a bungler.
Understanding the Mystical Dimensions of Islam
by Professor Ian Nathan
Date: Thursday 23 February 2012
Islam today often gets a bad press, especially in the Western media. Professor Netton aims to refute popular misconceptions and explore the tolerant and peace-loving aspect of Islam by looking at Sufism which is Islamic Mysticism. Comparisons will be made with Western Christian mystical traditions with particular reference to Teresa of Avila, Juan de la Cruz and Therese of Lisieux.
Anthony and Cleopatra
by Dr Adrian Goldsworthy
Date: Thursday 9 February 2012
Antony and Cleopatra are famous, celebrated by Shakespeare, and more recently depicted by Burton and Taylor. How do we get to the truth, and understand the real people behind the legends?
Heroic Hearts: the British Army's victory in Afghanistan in 1880
by Rodney Atwood
Date: Thursday 26 January 2012
The lecture describes the role of Frederick (Bob) Roberts in the 2nd Afghan War, culminating in his celebrated 300 mile march from Kabul to Kandahar with 10,000 picked British and Indian soldiers, to defeat the Afghan Army of Ayub Khan.
A Glimpse of Byzantium
by Patrick Moule
Date: Thursday 12 January 2012
Byzantium – the longest continuous empire the world has ever seen. This talk will provide a few glimpses of Byzantium’s rich and varied history and of its heroic end.
William Dampier
by Diana Preston
Date: Tuesday 6 December 2011
“A Pirate of Exquisite Mind" - Historian Diana Preston discusses the life of Somerset-born William Dampier, the remarkable 17th century buccaneer and naturalist whose travels and writings inspired Defoe and Swift, Cook and Darwin.
Arthur Ransome – the local spy
by Dr Yvonne Varley
Date: Tuesday 22 November 2011
Arthur Ransome is now remembered as the author of Swallows and Amazons. However, during WWI he was in Russia and involved with the Special Intelligence Service. His second wife was secretary to Leon Trotsky.
Samuel Frederick Cody 1867-1913
by Bill McNaught
Date: Tuesday 8 November 2011
Cody was an American cowboy, whose ancestors came from Weymouth, Dorset. He became a showman, dramatist, kite instructor and the first man to fly a heavier than air machine in the UK.
The People's Poet: William Barnes of Dorset
by Alan Chedzoy
Date: Tuesday 25 October 2011
Alan Chedzoy is a noted biographer and also an authority on West country dialect. Alan's new book, The People's Poet: William Barnes of Dorset, was published by the History Press in 2010.
World War I
by General Sir Robert Fry
Date: Tuesday 11 October 2011
Oh What a Lovely War - Why the reputation of World War I is about to be rehabilitated
The Churchills
by Mary Lovell
Date: Tuesday 27 September 2011
In her talk on 'The Churchills' Mary Lovell returns to the 19th and 20th centuries to chart a saga of one of England's most prominent families
Christopher Wren
by Adrian Tinniswood
Date: Thursday 10 March 2011
Adrian Tinniswood shows us the man behind the legend and makes it clear just why Wren remains a cultural icon both as a creation and a creator of the world he lived in.
Coffee houses and Pleasure Gardens in the 18th century
by Geraldine Beare
Date: Thursday 24 February 2011
Coffee houses were a male preserve, whilst pleasure gardens were open to all and provided entertainment as diverse as classical concerts, tight-rope-walking, dancing and dining as well as the more dubious delights of dalliance and prostitution
The Greek Achievement
by Charles Freeman
Date: Thursday 10 February 2011
The achievements of the ancient Greeks form the cornerstone of modern Western civilisation. The entire course of ancient Greek history is traced across thousands of years, celebrating the incredible range of Greek achievement.
Kingston Lacy. An Undiscovered History
by David Smith
Date: Thursday 27 January 2011
The talk unveils the hidden archaeology and fascinating history of the Estate and its peoples over the many centuries from the Neolithic, through to its purchase by Sir John Bankes in 1635.
A History of the Quakers in Industry, with special reference to the West Country
by Dr M. Atkinson
Date: Thursday 13 January 2011
The advantages and disadvantages of being a Quaker in an industrial context; it will include a scan of the national picture and then home in on Quaker industry in the South West.
The Victorian Music Hall and its stars
by Peter Street
Date: Tuesday 7 December 2010
An outline history of the emergence and development of the Music Hall in the 19th century, together with some of the stars and songs made famous at this time.
Benjamin Jesty
by Patrick Pead
Date: Tuesday 23 November 2010
The lecture will look at the life and achievements of Dorset's vaccination pioneer, Benjamin Jesty. He was the world's first vaccinator against Smallpox in 1774.
Chaucer’s First Success: Being Tactful with the Duke
by Tom Shippey
Date: Tuesday 9 November 2010
Chaucer’s first poem we know of is a long elegy for Blanche, Duchess of Lancaster. Its content posed certain problems, which Chaucer neatly and revealingly solved, before going on to a profitable career as poet, civil servant, and royal secret agent.
HMS Trincomalee
by Richard Warren
Date: Tuesday 26 October 2010
Richard was actively involved throughout the transformation of HMS TRINCOMALEE from a hulk to an exhibit of international importance.
Elizabethan Stained Glass at Montecute
by Peter Hill
Date: Tuesday 12 October 2010
Peter will discuss his recent research into the coats of arms, marriages and friends and neighbours of the Phelps family.
Katherine Swynford
by Alison Weir
Date: Tuesday 28 September 2010
Alison is a highly successful historical novelist and historian and will discuss her biography of Katherine, mistress of John of Gaunt
Frome Arrives in Sherborne – the coming of the railway in 1860
by Alec Oxford OBE
Date: Thursday 18 March 2010
Alec Oxford was born in Sherborne and educated at Foster's School. He served as a Fleet Air Arm pilot '43 - '47. Qualifying in youth leadership at Bristol University, he did youth work in Sherborne and south-east London and was deputy director of National Youth Bureau from '71 - 82. Made an MBE in 1982.
Julius Caesar and the Fall of the Roman Republic
by Adrian Goldsworthy
Date: Thursday 4 March 2010
Dr Adrian Goldsworthy.
Acclaimed author of 'Roman Warfare'. 'Caesar. The Life of a Colossus' and 'The Death of the Roman Superpower', Dr Goldsworthy appears regularly on TV and Radio. Formerly Assistant Professor at the University of Notre-Dame, he lectures at Birkbeck, Kings College (London), Yale and Berkeley. One of a new generation of classical scholars.
Samuel Palmer
by Professor William Vaughan
Date: Thursday 18 February 2010
William Vaughan is Professor Emeritus in History at Birkbeck College, University of London. He organised the exhibition on Samuel Palmer held at the British Museum, London and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 2005-6. He is currently completing a study of Samuel Palmer’s life and career.
Paddy Ashdown’s Third Law: or why the world will never be the same again and what we should do about it
by Paddy Ashdown
Date: Thursday 4 February 2010
The Rt. Hon. Lord Ashdown of Norton-sub-Hamdon, GCMG., KBE. (Paddy Ashdown) was a Royal Marine 1959-72, Liberal MP for Yeovil 1975-2001, Leader of the Liberal Democrats 1988-99 and High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina 2002-06. A gifted polygot, he is fluent in Mandarin Chinese and other languages
The Other Lyon: William Hector Lyon, 1868-1907
by Canon Eric Woods
Date: Thursday 21 January 2010
Eric Woods read Modern History at Magdalen College, Oxford, and later the Theology Tripos at Trinity College Cambridge. He was ordained in 1978. From 1983 to 1993 he was Vicar of Wroughton in the Bristol Diocese and a part-time lecturer in Bristol University’s Department of Theology and Religious Studies. He became Vicar of Sherborne in 1993 and a non-residentiary Canon of Salisbury Cathedral in 1998. He currently lectures on the University of Surrey’s Certificate of Higher Education in Theology course at Sarum College Salisbury
The North West Frontier in History and Today
by Jules Stewart
Date: Thursday 7 January 2010
Jules Stewart began his career as an academic, lecturing in Spanish language and literature at two U.S. universities before moving to Madrid where he spent 20 years as a journalist before joining Reuters and relocating to London. He has been a freelance reporter since 1994, specialising in finance. Recently he has produced four books on the history of the British on the North-West Frontier and Afghanistan
Ha Ha Hardy
by Tim Laycock
Date: Tuesday 8 December 2009
Tim Laycock, the son of a Dorset folk musician, is an actor and writer particulary interested in Dorset’s folk culture. He gives concerts based on the history and traditions of the county, including the life and works of William Barnes.
Colin Thompson is an expert on traditional English fiddle music and also plays the viola and guitar.
Names and the Search for Order in the Natural World
by Anna Pavord
Date: Tuesday 24 November 2009
Anna Pavord, one of the most distinguished writers on gardens today, admired for her meticulous research and knowledge of plants, garden history and design, follows up the theme of her recent book “The Naming of Names”, which is a history of the search for order in the world of plants. The story begins in Athens in the era of Aristotle. An earlier best seller was “The Tulip”. Anna recently received the Gold Veitch medal from the RHS. She is a member of English Heritage Parks and Gardens Panel and for the last five years has been Chairman of the National Trusts Garden Panel
The Monmouth Rebellion
by Major General Barry Lane
Date: Tuesday 10 November 2009
Barry Lane was commissioned into the Somerset Light Infantry; his last appointment was GOC of the Army in the South West of England. He then spent 5 years as the first Chief Executive of Cardiff Bay Development Corporation. Every summer since 1994 he has arranged an annual tour, setting out the background to and events of the Monmouth Rebellion of 1685 and its sad climax at the Battle of Sedgemoor.
John Ruskin – a flawed genius
by Julian Halsby
Date: Tuesday 27 October 2009
Julian Halsby studied at Cambridge University and later became Senior Lecturer and Head of Department in a London art college. He has written 7 books and literally hundreds of articles on art history and criticism. He is a member of the Critics Circle and the International Association of Art Critics.
William Beckford and his Tower in Bath
by Amy Frost
Date: Tuesday 13 October 2009
Amy Frost has been Curator of Beckfords Tower and Museum in Bath since 2002. She is also the Archivist for the Bath Preservation Trust and Curator of the Building of Bath Collection. She is currently researching the life of Henry Edmund Goodridge the architect who designed BeckfordsTower.
A Great and Glorious Victory: Nelson and Trafalgar
by Peter Warwick
Date: Tuesday 29 September 2009
Peter is chairman of The 1805 Club, a charity whose object is the restoration and maintenance of graves, monuments, memorials of the Georgian sailing navy. He is also chairman of Thames Alive and chairman of the International Committee of Waterloo 200, which is planning the commemorations in 2015.
The Making of the Riviera – People and Places - POSTPONED UNTIL A FUTURE DATE DUE TO PANDEMIC
by Julian Halsby
Date: Thursday 4 March 2021
The Riviera became the centre for artists, writers, politicians, musicians and architects as well as the super-rich between 1918 and 1939. I examine their gilded existence
Supermac: The Last Edwardian – a Portrait of Harold Macmillan as Prime Minister - POSTPONED UNTIL A FUTURE DATE DUE TO PANDEMIC
by Andrew Baker
Date: Thursday 18 February 2021
What shaped Macmillan’s character and beliefs; what tragedies beset his personal life; his style, vision, wit and melancholy; his place in history.
Chartism and the Plug Plot Riots of 1840’s - POSTPONED UNTIL A FUTURE DATE DUE TO PANDEMIC
by Brent Shore
Date: Thursday 4 February 2021
I will consider the topic with reference to the research and writing of my 2019 novel “Blessed are the Meek”.
Last Supper in Pompeii - POSTPONED UNTIL A FUTURE DATE DUE TO PANDEMIC
by Professor Paul Roberts
Date: Thursday 21 January 2021
Last Supper in Pompeii celebrates the Roman love affair with food and drink
Byzantium and the fall of Constantinople - POSTPONED UNTIL A FUTURE DATE DUE TO PANDEMIC
by Professor Jonathan Harris
Date: Thursday 7 January 2021
The last days of Byzantium as its impregnable capital city was besieged by the Ottoman Sultan in May 1453.
A Moral Threesome: Florence Nightingale and the Herberts - POSTPONED UNTIL A FUTURE DATE DUE TO PANDEMIC
by Dr Ruscombe Foster
Date: Tuesday 8 December 2020
One of Britain’s greatest heroines owed much to a now largely forgotten glamourous couple: the Herberts of Wilton House.
Sugar - POSTPONED UNTIL A FUTURE DATE DUE TO PANDEMIC
by Professor James Walvin
Date: Tuesday 24 November 2020
How was sugar transformed from a luxury, to a necessity, then, more recently, to a global health problem – all via the history of slavery?
Out of China: How the Chinese ended the era of Western domination - POSTPONED UNTIL A FUTURE DATE DUE TO PANDEMIC
by Professor Robert Bickers
Date: Tuesday 10 November 2020
This talk explores Why today’s assertive and economically successful China dwells on its past: why does its history matter?
Creating a ‘Usable’ Past: The Legacy of the 1917 Revolution in Modern Russia - POSTPONED UNTIL A FUTURE DATE DUE TO PANDEMIC
by Dr Matthew Rendle
Date: Tuesday 27 October 2020
This talk explores how Putin’s Russia has attempted a delicate balancing act whilst commemorating the centenary of the 1917 Revolution.
Marie Stopes: Her Life and Times 1880-1958 - POSTPONED UNTIL A FUTURE DATE DUE TO PANDEMIC
by David Carter
Date: Tuesday 13 October 2020
Marie Stopes known as a birth control pioneer was also a respected paleobotanist and Portland Museum’s founder and first curator.
The Wars of 9/11 - POSTPONED UNTIL A FUTURE DATE DUE TO PANDEMIC
by General Sir Robert Fry
Date: Tuesday 29 September 2020
An account of the wars started by the 9/11 attacks and their place in history.
Early Modern Queens on Screen: Victors, Victims, Villains, Virgins and Viragoes - POSTPONED UNTIL A FUTURE DATE
by Dr Elena (Ellie) Woodacre
Date: Thursday 19 March 2020
This talk highlights the range of typologies or stereotypes employed to depict the lives of early modern queens on film
The Reign of Æthelred the Unready: A View from Sherborne
by Dr Levi Roach
Date: Thursday 5 March 2020
An exciting revisionist perspective on the reign of one of England’s most notorious kings, emphasising the important role of Sherborne and its abbey in these years
CHANGE OF PROGRAMME - Simon de Montfort (c 1208-1265) Champion of England? Martyr?
by Dr Huw Ridgeway
Date: Thursday 20 February 2020
The meteoric career of an icon of English History re-assessed. Simon de Montfort became Earl of Leicester and brother-in-law of Henry III (1216-1272); Crusader, international celebrity, he ultimately perished in civil war, challenging royal rule in the name of Reform.
History of rope, hemp, twine and sail in the South West
by Ross Aitken
Date: Thursday 6 February 2020
Its place in world trade and importance in national and local history
The reputation of William Rufus: the (in)famous king and his critics
by Dr Benjamin Pohl
Date: Thursday 23 January 2020
Was William Rufus a ‘bad king’ by medieval standards?
Britain and Meiji Japan
by Mr Adrian Thorpe CMG FRSA
Date: Thursday 9 January 2020
British involvement in the modernisation of Japan, the end of the Shogunate and its replacement by rule by the Emperor
The content of Adrian Thorpe's talk is included below
Dutch Courage & Mothers’ Ruin: The Gin Craze
by Dr Richard Barnett
Date: Tuesday 3 December 2019
We’ll take a walk down Hogarth’s ‘Gin Lane’, exploring the realities behind this notorious episode of Enlightenment history.
Lawrence of Arabia’s War
by Dr Neil Faulkner FSA
Date: Tuesday 19 November 2019
An analysis of the war in Egypt, Arabia, Palestine, and Syria between 1914 and 1918, with particular focus on the character, role, and achievements of T E Lawrence.
The Royal Hospital Chelsea: a brief history
by John Rochester
Date: Tuesday 5 November 2019
The Royal Hospital Chelsea; over three centuries of service to old soldiers, the Army and the nation.
The content of John Rochester's talk is included below.
Cottages Ornés: The Charms of the Simple Life
by Roger White
Date: Tuesday 22 October 2019
The cottage orné, or ornamental cottage, is an English invention of the mid-18th century and is the only architectural genre to cover the entire social spectrum.
The Diet of Worms 1521
by Professor Elaine Fulton
Date: Tuesday 8 October 2019
This talk will explore the significance of the Diet of Worms, when Martin Luther defied Holy Roman Emperor Charles V.
Why didn’t Britain go either Fascist or Communist between the two world wars?
by Professor Lawrence Goldman
Date: Tuesday 24 September 2019
A talk that compares British historical experience with that on the continent of Europe between 1918 and 1939
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