Month |
Summary |
Aug 15
|
Local Significant Historical Influencers. This talk is about six figures across more than a millennium who have had particular influence over this part of the country. They include a Mercian Queen, a foolhardy Throckmorton, a prominent Parliamentarian, the doyen of political wire-pullers, the musical embodiment of English Imperialism, and a flawed but brilliant Prime Minister. Speaker: Andrew Reekes Evening host: Chris Smith |
Sept 19
|
History of River Avon Navigation Before canals, railways and even before proper roads, the rivers were often the best route in and out from the middle of the country, linking up other trading towns, the coast and the wider world. Our beautiful River Avon has literally shaped the towns through which it flows, and the reason why they are where they are. Some of the mills and crossing points date back over a thousand years. Speaker: Alex Mellor Evening host: Mike Franklin |
Oct 17
|
Elgar a Musical Life Elgar is as much an Enigma as his famous Variations;- this talk seeks to introduce him in a way that most people don't recognise. Many people think of him as a sort of Nationalistic composer of 'Land of Hope and Glory' - but be prepared to be surprised. Speaker: Richard Westwood-Brookes Evening host: Alex Grieve |
Nov 21 |
Catherine of Aragon We all know about Catherine of Aragon: she was ‘the first wife’. But what was she really like? Catherine was a remarkable and capable woman who steered a complicated course through Tudor England for more than 30 years. Well educated, courageous and politically shrewd, she was loved by the people and was in most ways an excellent royal consort. But she failed in one thing: to provide her husband with the Son and Heir. This talk tells Catherine’s largely forgotten story, from childhood in the palaces of Spain, to her short-lived first marriage, her traumatic fight for survival as a young widow, her triumphant second marriage and the catastrophe of “The King’s Great Matter” that saw her set aside in favour of Anne Boleyn... Speaker: Dr. Gillian White Evening host: Chris Smith |
Dec 19
|
The Working Countryside in Photographs Robin has spoken on previous occasions about country crafts. This talk illustrates a bygone age. Speaker: Robin Hill Evening host: John Alexander-Head |
Mar 20
|
Brief History of Warwickshire Constabulary The force was established in 1840 as Warwickshire Constabulary. It did not, however, even cover all the rural areas of the county until 1857. Birmingham, Coventry, Leamington Spa, Stratford-upon-Avon and Warwick originally had their own police forces. Over time, it absorbed various borough police forces, including Warwick (1875), Stratford-upon-Avon (1889), and Leamington (1947). The Constabulary faced challenges in manning the force, including high turnover and difficult working conditions. Speaker: Graham Sutherland Evening host: Andrew Taylor |
Apr 17
|
Songs of the Music Hall
Speaker: Richard Churchley Evening host: Chris Smith |
May 15
|
The Lost Railway The story of the branch line from Henley-in-Arden to Lapworth. An account of the efforts by townspeople of Henley-in-Arden to bring a railway to their town and why it took almost 50 years to complete. The story involves Railway Mania, a financial panic and a world war. Speaker: Paul Baker Evening host: Mike Franklin |
June 19 |
God’s Anointed: Raising aristocratic children in Puritan England What was life like in an aristocratic household during the 1640s and 1650s? Using surviving household account books from the Greville family of Warwick Castle, this talk will uncover surprising stories of growing up and private living during a civil war and the Commonwealth regime of Oliver Cromwell. Speaker: Aaron Manning Evening host: John Alexander-Head |
July 17 |
Mediaeval Children We think that childhood and loving parents are 20th century phenomena, but while life was harder and probably more dangerous for the young, and lifespans for all were generally shorter in the Middle Ages, the young still played, could go to school and were loved. Speaker: Mairi Macdonald Evening host: Chris Smith |