2023 - 2024 Talks

The Battle of Britain determined not only the future of the United Kingdom, but also of Europe and arguably the whole of the western world.

This talk shows how Devon newspapers reported the dramatic events of the Great War’s final phase day by day.

The last days of Byzantium as its impregnable capital city was besieged by the Ottoman Sultan in May 1453.

1918-2018 – 100 years of intrepid independence.

The talk explores the lives of three generations of one of the greatest Victorian engineering families, and their remarkable achievements.

The talk shows how unique source material  enables us to  come very close to the personality of a medieval king.

The two speakers will combine to present an insight into Hardy’s world, via the reading of his correspondence. 

This presentation analyses how formerly enslaved populations in Western Mali have escaped slavery, rebuilt autonomous communities, and resisted legacies of slavery along the twentieth century.

This talk tells the story of Dorset’s old bridewell, located here in Sherborne, and what happened after its closure.

An introduction to the real William Wilberforce as revealed in his manuscript diaries and journals.

The talk will be delivered by Mr. Ian Fraser, a A surgeon who has moved on from clinical practice to teaching at the Royal College of Surgeons of England.