We might assume that our modern Christmas owes much to the Victorians. In fact, carol singing, present giving, mulled wine and mince pies were all just as popular in Tudor times. This lecture is based on Siobhain’s book with Alison Weir 'A Tudor Christmas'. It was a twelve day-long festival, over which the Lord of Misrule held sway; so beloved by English people that its traditions survived remarkably unchanged in an age of tumultuous religious upheaval.

This lecture will consider the importance of Dutch and English delftware for the history of European pottery and how these wares dominated seventeenth century ceramic production. It will begin with a brief history of tin-glazed earthenware, concentrating on the material and techniques employed, and go on to discuss the emergence of the town of Delft as a major production centre. It will demonstrate the impact of Chinese blue and white porcelain on the wares of both countries, along with other stylistic developments such as the great ‘flower pyramids’ made for the court of William and Mary, the importance of delftware for the pharmacy, commemorative wares and the development of the ‘blue-dash’ charger.

In June 1520 Henry VIII and Francis 1 of France met in a field south of Calais for 18 days of various events and entertainments staged to display the skill and splendour of each King and country. The English logistics for this spectacular event are staggering, and the adornment of the Field, the temporary palace and everyone present is equally fascinating. How was it all achieved?

2020 was the 500th Anniversary of the Field of Cloth of Gold.

Tyntesfield, one of the last great Victorian country houses still intact with its original contents, was to be broken up until being saved for the Nation at the eleventh hour a few years ago.  Now owned by The National Trust, the story of the house, the family who created it and its dramatic rescue make this an entertaining, informative and very popular lecture.

Why were they created and what and who did they represent?  In the 19th century sailing ships with their colourful figureheads were a regular sight but now just a few figureheads survive.

The 'poor little rich girl' who changed the face of twentieth century art.  Not only was Peggy Guggenheim ahead of her time, she was the woman who helped define it.  She discovered and nurtured a new generation of artists producing a new kind of art.  Through collecting not only art but the artists themselves, her life was as radical as her collection.

This lecture explores the history of chairs and seating solutions from the ancient right up to the modern day.  Often taken for granted, chairs have preoccupied the minds of some of the greatest thinkers and designers in history.  As both symbols of power and humble vernacular fireside seats, this talk will take you on a historic trip through the development of the chair.

From the wax seal to the microchip, man has exploited the skill of the artist and artisan in his attempt to manufacture a forgery-proof document.  Taking you through three centuries of passport design, this lecture explains the overt and uncovers the covert to illustrate the defences built into the passport and the tricks the forger uses to defeat them

Murder, poison, corruption and incest: all perfect ingredients for sensational popular culture.  But in an age known for its brutality and church corruption, were the Borgias so bad?  The lecture reveals the real family that dominated the Papacy and Italian politics during the last decade of the 15th century.  Sometimes truth is more intoxicating than myth!

The UK provides some of the most impressive ceremonial events in the world. But why is that? How do the military prepare for major events such as the State Opening of Parliament, State visits, National Day of Remembrance, Royal weddings or even a State funeral ?

The Impressionist movement of the late 19th and early 20th centuries produced some of the finest snow paintings in the history of art.  Although the 17th century Dutch masters had painted snow, it was not a common subject amongst landscape painters until its rediscovery by the Impressionists.  Monet, Pissarro and Sisley all painted snow but they were by no means the only Impressionists to have painted snow and ice.  The Norwegian artist, Frits Thurlow, was a master of depicting snow but, perhaps, the most impressive snow paintings were done by the American Impressionists capturing the silence, beauty and grandeur of an American winter.

The lecture explores the history of Persian tilework primarily through the monuments of the most beautiful of all Persian cities, Isfahan, although it will also refer to buildings elsewhere in Iran.  From simple monochrome, turquoise inlays in the 12th century, tilework in Iran developed in both polychromality and decorative complexity until, by the 17th century, enormous architectural surfaces were covered with brilliant ornament.  But then comes the surprise, for in the 19th century, tiles are used for the first time to tell a story.

The discovery of the grave of Richard 111 in Leicester raised an army of new and fascinating questions.The severe scoliosis exhibited by the skeleton revealed that the twisted physique of Shakespeare’s “lack Legend” was based in fact. How could a diminutive person with a significant spinal condition have become a skilled practitioner of the knightly fighting arts? What would his armour have looked like and how might it have disguised the King’s condition, presenting him as a powerful warrior?