GUEST SPEAKER PROGRAMME 2023 / 2024 SEASON AT THE GUILDHALL, HULL
17th October 2023
Tony Harris
In our first talk, we have the opportunity to meet Winston Churchill, brought back to life by Tony Harris, who takes us from his birth to his death in a rip-roaring hour of comedy and information. Who wouldn’t have wanted to meet this great man, who had such an enormous impact on our nation and its history.
Tony is a professional comedian, raconteur and actor, who specialises in historical talks, with a hysterical twist. Using his acting talents and comedy skills he brings historical figures back to life with accuracy and wit.
His uses comedy to help his audience gain information by making them laugh, but every point he makes is historically accurate.
24th October 2023
Caroline Hawley
Her love of antiques would guide Caroline Hawley’s career path. Graduating in French, her self-taught knowledge of antiques led to opening her first shop in 1983 – Penny Farthing Antiques. Now, as a recognised antiques expert, with 40 years experience, including 10 years on BBC’s Bargain Hunt, her expertise is widely acknowledged.
Speaking on the BBC about her favorite part of working on Bargain Hunt, Caroline said:
“I really love meeting people who have a passion for what they do and visiting often undiscovered places and unexpected collections. It is a real pleasure to be able to share these hidden gems with the viewers.”
31st October 2023
Professor Sir John Lawton
Sir John Lawton CBE, FRS, is a British ecologist, RSPB Vice President, President (former Chair) of the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust and President of The Institution of Environmental Sciences. In March 2005, he was appointed Chairman of the Royal Commission on Environmental Pollution on 1 April 2005, continuing until 2011.
His interests have focused on the population dynamics and biodiversity of birds and insects, with emphasis over the last decade on the impacts of global environmental change on wild plants and animals. In 2010 he published an official review of England’s protected areas, Making Space for Nature.
7th November 2023
Sir Paul Fellows
Sir Paul Fellows is a Fellow of the Royal Astronomical Society and of the Institute of Engineering and Technology. Twice a winner of the Queen’s award for Technology he was recently presented a lifetime innovation award by Emmanuel College Cambridge. He is chairman of the Cambridge Astronomical Association and is co-presenter of the public open evenings at the University’s Institute of Astronomy.
Paul built his first telescope aged 14, as an O-level astronomy project and experienced the “wow” of viewing the rings of Saturn. He now has his own private observatory. So, who better to answer the ‘big’ question ?
14th November 2023
Lucy Lethbridge
In 1815 the Battle of Waterloo brought an end to the Napoleonic Wars and the European continent opened again for British tourists. Lucy Lethbridge examines in detail two centuries of tourists’ experiences. Based on extensive research she examines the effects of this dynamic expansion of foreign travel on class, traditional cultures and cuisine.
Lucy is a journalist and author, and her book about ‘Tourists’, was published in 2022 to critical acclaim. Writing for The Sunday Times, Dominic Sandbrook said: “in six gloriously colourful chapters, she explores everything from guidebooks to souvenirs, retelling these first tourists’ tales with gleeful relish”.
21st November 2023
Andy Hunting
The Vikings – A one-hour insight into who they were, where they travelled and why they were so successful. The talk explores their modus operandi as well as their legacy and concludes with reviews of three famous Vikings.
Andy is an experienced traveller and has visited numerous countries with Viking links, including Norway, Sweden, Finland, Shetland, the Faroes and Iceland. He has recently retired from teaching after 33 years, mainly A level and some GCSE, specialising in economics and business. He is an Advanced Skills Teacher and was the fourteenth teacher in the UK to gain the award.
28th November 2023
Richard Hawkes
Richard Hawkes is an Accredited Conservator-Restorer, with wide experience working for museums, institutions, art dealers and private individuals throughout the UK. Having initially trained in Newcastle, followed by posts at the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford and a private conservation studio in Cambridge, he established his own studio, Artworks Conservation, in Harrogate.
Richard has a long association with several university conservation and art history training courses where he regularly lectures on the history of artists’ materials. He runs professional development workshops at York Minster Library for conservators from throughout the UK and further afield.
16th January 2024
Nigel Bates
Based on Sir Peter Wright’s current production of the Nutcracker, Nigel Bates’ talk takes a close look at how this much-loved ballet takes its rightful place on stage, with Tchaikovsky’s music, the story-telling, design, dance and some stage ingenuity all combining to make a magical escape for all ages.
Nigel Bates was appointed Section Principal Percussion of the Royal Opera House Orchestra, Covent Garden in 1993, and after a spell in Australia, he was, in 2012, appointed the Music Administrator for The Royal Ballet and continues to perform with many of the major London orchestras and ensembles.
23rd January 2024
Helen Good
On May 28, 1588, the Armada set sail from Lisbon and headed for the English Channel. When it left Lisbon, the fleet was composed of 141 ships, 10,138 sailors and 19,315 soldiers, and carried 2,500 cannon.
Helen Good’s talk will tell the story of this Armada from the perspective of the Mayor and Aldermen of Hull, based on Hull Corporation records of the time.
Helen Good is a retired historian who is currently the (unpaid) director of the Elizabethan Star Chamber project which is hosted by the University of Houston in Texas. Historians don’t stop working, they just stop being paid.
30th January 2024
David Edwards
David Edwards uses his expertise as a guide to the ruins of Pompeii and Herculaneum, and their destroyer Vesuvius, to look at the fascinating stories gleaned from the clues that litter this tempestuous landscape. This is one of the most densely populated, and threatened, areas of Europe. Striking videos and images will bring the past and present alive.
David, a widely-travelled geologist, is a university tutor on sustainability, renewable energy and natural hazards. He is also an earth science field studies guide for the Bay of Naples volcanic area and for Iceland. He is also the university expeditions advisor for the Royal Geographical Society.
6th February 2024
Jeremy Mainwaring-Burton
The Queen Mother had access to so much jewellery it would be almost impossible to describe it all. So, in this fascinating, fully-illustrated talk, Jeremy concentrates on a selection of items which are of gemmological and historic, interest, and have amusing stories attached.
Jeremy Mainwaring-Burton is a geologist, gemmologist and a former Army officer – one of Jeremy’s more unusual jobs was to serve the Queen Mother as her equerry.
13th February 2024
Richard Green
Originally this garden was a glorious, landscaped garden surrounding Worsley New Hall, Salford, constructed over a 50-year period, starting in 1846. With the Hall demolished and the gardens badly neglected, the 156 acre site was chosen for restoration in 2019 by the RHS as its fifth Garden.
Richard Green is the Head of RHS Garden Bridgewater. He joined the RHS in 2019 and oversees all aspects of visitor operations and the development of the site. He has worked in a variety of senior operations and visitor experience roles, including for the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester.
20th February 2024
Keith Offord
Costa Rica is one of the most biodiverse and protected countries on Earth and forms part of the land bridge between North and South America. Keith Offord explores the amazing, exotic wildlife of this tiny country, including impossibly psychedelic birds such as the iridescent hummingbirds which whiz around like large insects, prehistoric-looking reptiles, and mind-boggling insects.
Keith is a professional ornithologist who has spent his life exploring, studying, conserving and photographing wildlife around the world. He set up his company Wild Insights in 2003, and leads birdwatching courses and UK, and overseas, tours. Here he shares just some of his experiences from multiple trips to Costa Rica, illustrated with a wealth of images.
27th February 2024
Nicholas Merchant
The fascinating story of how a 16th century Italian architect, through his building designs and his four volume treatise on architecture, I quattro libri dell’architettura, created a style known as Palladianism, which reached its climax in 18th century UK, Europe and the USA; which in turn spread to all quarters of the world.
Nicholas has been a freelance lecturer in the Decorative and Fine Arts for over 15 years, enjoying a reputation as a knowledgeable and entertaining speaker. He works primarily as a lecturer for some of the major travel companies such as Noble-Caledonia, Hebridean, and Travel Editions.
One hour talks, many illustrated, are given by professional speakers on a wide variety of subjects. We would be delighted to see you there and can assure you of a warm welcome.
Doors are normally open at 6.45pm but access may be delayed if lecture preparations are not complete. The audience are requested to please be in their seats before 7.25pm as all talks start at 7.30pm prompt.
Annual subscription for this season is only £50 which covers entry into all lectures.
The Annual President’s Dinner will take place on the 16th January 2024, following the ‘Nutcracker Ballet’ lecture by Nigel Bates.
Application forms can be downloaded here.
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