Course A: Aspects of London

Tony Tuckwell

The Great Squares - We will look at the development of elegant West End squares between the City of London and the centre of government at Whitehall and Westminster  by the great aristocrats, followed by the Georgian era with the familiar style of luxury terraced Palladian properties.  Even royalty was tempted to enter the market with the Prince Regent’s extravagant development of Regent’s Park.

Road and Rail Improvements – thousands of travellers to the City defied the capacity of horse-drawn traffic on the jammed roads.  Without a national plan for either canals or railways, private enterprise was driving the development of the essential infrastructure.

New Roads, New Bridges - problems mounted as London faced rapid expansion.  Water supplies and the demand for food increased while many ferryman and lightermen made their living on the river Thames.  The medieval London Bridge and its approach roads were regularly jammed with traffic until Westminster and Blackfriars Bridges relieved some of the pressure.

Docks –  The Legal Quays downstream from London Bridge next to the Custom House were established in Elizabethan times.  We will look at the development of secure docks for each commercial venture.  However, these proved to be self-destructive and led to the development of the Port of London Authority. 

The City – We will examine how and why the merchant bankers set up the Bank of England and how it become an international bank.  We will look at the impact of two world wars and the deregulation of the City.

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Course B: Essex Men and Women

Margaret Mills

The county of Essex has many claims to fame, not least of which is that a number of very interesting people have been associated with the county over the years, and the course looks at just some who have entered the history books and made their way to public attention for various reasons, ranging from a famous royal doctor, artists who were described as ground-breaking in the 1950's, to a prolific poisoner whose case had a great impact in changing the law, for which we might all be grateful to this day.  Some of these people have been great influencers in the wider world sphere, some might be described as good characters, some bad and others a mixture of both, but all are part of our county's history.  

You will have your own views on each of these personalities, so come with us as we discover a variety of people from different time periods who had a link of some kind with Essex, either by birth, residence or from moving to the county for work or other reasons.

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Course C: Scottish Art in the 19th Century: Impressionist and Post Impressionist Influences

Rachel Hargreaves

This course will explore developments in Scottish Art during the late 19th century at a time when artists were starting to break away from convention and tradition. This challenge to the establishment echoed the revolutionary situation in France, with Impressionism & Post Impressionism, combining to change the course of Art as a new century beckoned. We will explore the work of a range of Scottish Artists within their artistic context. Artist to be studied include, John Lavery, William McTaggart, George Henry, Arthur Melville, James Guthrie. We will analyse the way artists’ styles evolved with more fluid brushwork & spontaneity creating a visually exciting environment for artists.

Fully illustrated with discussion and analysis integral to the sessions.

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Course D: The Enlightened Absolutists of the Eighteenth Century

Anne Stott

While in eighteenth-century Britain the powers of the king were circumscribed by Parliament, most of continental Europe was ruled by absolute monarchs. The course will study five of these monarchs: Peter the Great and Catherine the Great in Russia; Frederick the Great in Prussia; Maria Theresa in Austria, and Napoleon Bonaparte in France. These monarchs were energetic and innovative. To varying degrees, they had imbibed the philosophy of the French Enlightenment and they sought to impose rational and efficient government on their subjects. At the same time, they engaged in almost continuous warfare, combining enlightenment principles with cynical land grabs. With the fall of Napoleon, the period of enlightened despotism came to an end.

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Course E: Four Days that Shook the World

Denis Sheppard

There are certain days when events happen which change the course of human history.

Each week we will explore one such day putting the event unto context, explaining what actually took place and analysing its long term impact.  We will cover:

THE BATTLE OF SALAMIS when the Athenians defeated the Iranians which led to the emergence of Ancient Greek civilisation.

JENNER DISCOVERING THE SMALLPOX VACCINATION and its impact on public health and the values underpinning healthcare.

SIGNING THE MAGNA CARTA setting the principles for our human rights.

MOON LANDING. Did it have the impact we all expected at the time in the longer term?

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Course F: Mr Marconi and the Birthplace of the Wireless

Alan Pamphilon

This true story centres completely around one man from Italy, Senior Guglielmo Marconi, and how his creative thinking influenced the working lives of so many people in the then market town of Chelmsford.
The technical and entrepreneurial abilities of this man went on to allow the world to communicate by wireless, later called radio. A wonder at the time, but a technical achievement that is very much today part of our everyday lives.

This narrative will take us from the early days of Morse Code to speech over the airwaves and then on to the early days of regular broadcasting from the Essex village of Writtle. All this ground breaking work directly led to the early days of the BBC.

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Course G: Michelangelo, Leonardo and Raphael in Florence

Lydia Goodson

The blockbuster exhibition at the Royal Academy in London this autumn: ‘Michelangelo, Leonardo, Raphael: Florence, c. 1504 ‘ focuses on three of the biggest stars of Italian Renaissance art. This class offers an introduction to the theme of the exhibition, which will explore the famous rivalry between Michelangelo and Leonardo, and the influence both had on the young Raphael

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Course H: The Aztecs, Mayas and the Spanish Conquest of Mexico.   

Ian Mursell

The talk will tell the story of the Spanish invasion of Mexico (1519-1521).  I will include occasional references to the Maya but the emphasis will be much more on the Aztecs.  I will try to dispel some of the common myths surrounding the ‘Conquest’ – especially the myth that a handful of men managed to topple a whole empire - and to present something of the opposing viewpoints on this momentous event in history.  I will also look at some of the achievements of the Aztecs (and other great Mesoamerican civilisations).  The talk will end with a brief look at ‘cultural resistance’ and the legacy of the Aztecs and Maya today.

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Course I: A Reimagined Renaissance:  the villas, gardens and collections built by the Anglo-American Community in nineteenth century Florence 

Lydia Goodson 

At the close of the nineteenth century English and Americans flocked to Florence and many stayed and bought properties there. They shared a passionate interest in Renaissance Italy - a fascination that was expressed through the extensive collections of Renaissance objects with which they decorated their Italian homes and grounds. In this course we will discover the eccentric, the flamboyant and the sometimes-unscrupulous characters of this close-knit community, and step inside their villas and gardens, many of which can be visited today, to see how these Italophiles reimagined the Renaissance for a new age.

1. Introduction and Building a Fantasy Renaissance at Poggio Gherardo

2. Selling the New Renaissance Dream at Palazzo Bardini

3. Gentlemen and Scholars at Villa La Pietra and Villa I Tatti

4. The wild and the whimsical: Frederick Stibbert’s Villa at Montughi

5. Lady Paget at Torre di Bellosguardo

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Course J: The Petres of Ingatestone Hall

Margaret Mills

Many of us have visited Ingatestone Hall over the years and have enjoyed viewing the house and its gardens.  The Petre family have owned Ingatestone Hall for over 480 years and although open to the public and one of Essex's best-loved country houses, it still remains primarily a family home.  

Occupied by the same family for so many centuries, we might expect that the story of the Petre family is fascinating, as it reflects what was happening both locally and nationally.  The current Lord Petre is the 18th Lord, so there are many and varied stories connected with all of his predecessors, their different interests, their plans for the estate and the historical background of their times.  Through wars, religious persecution, visits by royalty and other economic, political and social changes, the Petre family story reflects the history of our nation.   We look at the family members who have called the Hall 'home' over the centuries, and examine the heritage they have left behind.  Some of the questions we will be trying to answer will include who were the Petres, what is their background story and how did they come to own the Hall?  How did successive generations' time at the Hall reflect what was going on in the outside world, what was the influence of Ingatestone Hall, both locally and nationally and what does the future look like for country houses such as the Hall?

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Course K Jewels: Gem-Set Jewellery: the Inside Story

Ian Mercer.

Gemmologist and geologist Ian Mercer will reveal an astonishing world within and around precious stones. Our perceptions and feelings, misconceptions and desires, are brought into focus by asking ourselves, "What is 'value'? Why is diamond special? How are gems born? How does nature make gems? How do you know what it is? Why is jade most amazing? Ian will reveal intriguing tales, covering a variety of questions.

Ian will not be able to identify or value any items of gems or jewellery as these may require specialist instruments and techniques and he is not insured to deal with these areas of work.

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Course L: Rachmaninov: The Man and his Music

Maria Razumovskaya

Sergei Rachmaninov’s music encompassed the salon, concert hall to opera, symphony and liturgical works. He claimed he was unsuccessful as a composer. Yet, the imitation of his music became an entire Hollywood industry in itself.  His life as an emigre or perhaps refugee from the Russian Revolution almost silenced his compositional voice; yet made him one of the most famous and successful musicians of his time. His performances and technical feats as a pianist were unrivalled. Yet, he complained he wasn’t well enough to do better. His status as a symbol of Russian culture was concurrent with him and his music being banned in his homeland, and yet performed and loved there. He loved automobiles, but feared what technology would do to the arts. These sessions look at how Rachmaninov’s life, experiences and beliefs shaped his attitude towards, and creation of, music.

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Course M: British Towns  

Denis Sheppard

We will look at the colourful and diverse history of five towns throughout the United Kingdom demonstrating the regional differences and the things that bind us together.

From England the spa town of Buxton, from Scotland the port of Dundee, from Northern Ireland the seat if the "troubles" Derry/Londonderry, from Wales the resort of Llandudno and finally the border town of Berwick upon Tweed.

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Course N: Antartica and Back    

Andy Beharrell

Antarctica – In the Footsteps Of Shackleton
In 2022/23 Andy Beharrell sailed from Tenerife to Antarctica via the Falklands, South Georgia and the South Orkney Islands. During the course of this trip he visited a number of the places where Shackleton went as part of his Trans-Antarctic Expedition. This talk will tell the story of the trip, the Shackleton expedition and look at the wildlife and natural history of the whole Antarctica region.

From Tierra Del Fuego to Essex

When Darwin travelled to South America on his voyages on the Beagle, he was accompanied by three natives of Tierra Del Fuego. They had been picked up by the captain of HMS Beagle - Captain Robert Fitzroy and brought back to Essex where they were cared for and taught at a missionary school. This was considered such a success that the Fuegians were even presented at Court to King William IV and Queen Adelaide in the summer of 1831. On the second voyage of the Beagle they accompanied Fitzroy and Darwin back to Tierra Del Fuego to help establish a mission post. In this talk we will look at the history of the trip of the Beagle and the attempts to convert and civilise the Fuegian people.

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Course O: The Scottish Colourists: An Explosion of Colour

Rachael Hargreaves

This course will explore developments in Scottish Art in the early 20th Century with the inspired development of colour by a group of Scottish Artists who later became known as the Scottish Colourists. These developments reflected wider patterns which had been evolving in France from the legacy of the Post Impressionists and the bold visual audacity of the Fauves, whose work had shocked its viewers. Artists to be studied are Francis Campbell Boileau Cadell, John Duncan Fergusson, Samuel John Peploe and George Leslie Hunter. Their united exploration of colour presents them as ground breaking within a visually innovative period of Art, which although not fully appreciated at the time has come to be a focal point of interest within Scottish Art,

Fully illustrated with discussion and analysis integral to the sessions.

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Course P: France - from the fall of Napoleon to the Third Republic

Anne Stott

By the summer of 1815 France was a defeated country. It was occupied by Allied troops and subjected to a war indemnity. Napoleon was in exile, and the Bourbon monarchy, abolished during the Revolution, was restored. But this did not mean a return to the old regime. Too much had happened since 1789 and the clock could not be turned back. Over the following half century France experienced bewildering changes of government: an authoritarian monarchy, a constitutional monarchy, another republic, and a populist empire under Napoleon's nephew. By the end of 1870 it was humiliated once more, having been defeated by Bismarck's Prussia. With the proclamation of the Third Republic, there was yet another change of government, but no-one could predict how long it would last. 

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Course Q: The World of Wuthering Heights

Margaret Mills

The novel Wuthering Heights was published in 1847 and has since become one of British literature's most fascinating and well-loved classics, ground-breaking in its' plot and its themes of undying love, betrayal and revenge over generations.  Powerfully written by Emily Bronte, one of the famous literary family, it is loved all over the world and translated into about 30 different languages, the novel has been the subject of numerous film, TV, radio and stage adaptations.  The course aims to examine the background story of the work, and no previous reading of the book or viewing of any adaptation is required.  

Amongst other things, we will consider:-

• the secrets of its eternal appeal to readers and why a book written over 175 years ago should still be relevant today

• what factors influenced it and what the story tells us about the author - and the age in which it was written

• theories about whether the book is based on a true story 

• the part played by the depiction of landscape (the novel is widely credited with having one of the best descriptions of landscape in English literature)

• did the novel change the course of literature and popular culture?

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Course R: History from the Sources

Julian Whybra

Essex and the Mayflower Pilgrims

The voyage of the Mayflower to the New World in 1620 is an event of which most people are aware. But who were these ‘Pilgrims’? Did they flee England out of religious conviction or were they entrepreneurs with an eye for the main chance? How did they fare in the New World and how did their epic journey lead to the founding of the township of New Plymouth in Massachusetts? Find out a little about your local history.

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The Shakespeare Conspiracy

In 1999 Radio 4 listeners voted William Shakespeare ‘Man of the Millennium’ despite there being less known about him than any other playwright of his time. The controversy as to the true authorship of the ‘Shakespeare plays’ is of course well-known but the life of Shakespeare the Man is full of enigmas  Did he even exist at all?  From historical records we shall discover vital new evidence of another, more sinister conspiracy in which Shakespeare was embroiled... .This is an iconoclastic unearthing of literature’s greatest figure: “There are more things in heaven and earth...”

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Lost on the Somme

This is a story of unfulfilled potential and promise. The Somme in 1916 was one of the costliest battles in terms of human life ever fought. Among the men who fell on both sides were those of real talent in the arts and sciences, gifted individuals who had made their mark in their chosen field and would have gone on to greatness, had they lived. Today you’ll hear their stories - author, philosopher, scientist, entertainer, poet, composer, sportsman, politician - you’ll discover what they did...and what we have lost.

“Much of the noblest youth and promise of England has gone untimely into the dark. Against every hallowed name on the Roll of Honour may be sadly written ‘What might have been...’.”

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The Lion’s Cubs: Henry VIII’s children

When Henry VIII died in 1547 he left three highly intelligent children to succeed him in turn - Edward, Mary, and Elizabeth - to be followed, if they died childless, by the descendants of his sister Mary Tudor, one of whom was the ill-fated but gifted Nine Days’ Queen, Lady Jane Grey.  Edward was nine years old, Mary thirty-one, Elizabeth thirteen and Jane ten.  Edward, Elizabeth and Jane were staunch Protestants, Mary a devout Catholic; each had a very different mother and they had grown up in vastly different circumstances.  The character and relationships of Henry’s four heirs made each the tool of powerful political or religious figures at a time when the realm was seething with intrigue and turbulent change.  The story that unfolds will bring to life the childhoods of four Tudor sovereigns and portray them as individuals, who, in the final analysis, were people not so very unlike us.

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The Peasants’ Revolt in Essex, 1381

The discovery of a mass of new primary source material on the events that took place in Essex of 1381 allows for the opening of many new windows on the persons, places and events of the conflict. What exactly happened here in mid-Essex? Intriguingly it also allows for a re-assessment of the peasants’ leadership, organization, co-ordination of activities, and the extent to which the whole insurrection was pre-planned. How much of a reality was the so-called ‘Great Society’ in fact?

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Course S: 1914 and All That: How the Great War Impacted on Poetry & Prose

Stephen Smith

The poetry of the 1914-18 War has been much studied in the past 70 years, and many of the poets that we shall consider are now firmly established in the literary canon.  We are familiar with their work and familiar with what they had to write of the terror and pity of those years. Rather than rehearsing the themes often associated with them, this course will strive to open a number of new perspectives including the following influences on their poetry. These are:

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·  Rupert Brooke - what might have been.

·  The influence of sexuality on Owen and Sassoon.

·  The impact of madness on Ivor Gurney.

·  Class guilt in these poets.

·  The dangers of memory in Edward Thomas.

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The poetry generated by the Great War has been seen as a definitive break with the traditions of lyric poetry and the Romantic tradition, and those virtues, often masculine, associated with Britain’s imperial status. This course will evaluate the worth of this conclusion, arguing that the poetry of the Great War is also engaged with the formation of a different poetic sensibility and agenda, a more modern and psychological poetry, influenced by gender, sexuality and the emerging theories of the subconscious. 

We will explore how these poets are in continual negotiation with the political and social notions of class and society advanced through the Victorian and Edwardian eras, and as often as not involved in an attempt to formulate a distinctive identity for the self through their writings. It is hoped that by focusing our discussions on the psychologies and identities of our chosen poets that we will discover a deeper understanding of them and their poetry, which avoids the usual categorisations or descriptions of their works.