Course
‘The Spirit of the Age’
(The Victorians at home and play)
In a series of talks involving looking at Victorian Narrative Art, the course explores social and cultural issues of life on the home-front during the Victorian era. These include attitudes to death, the Victorians at play and entertainment, children’s picture books and nursery rhymes, gardening, sport and the reshaping of and re-energising the celebration of Christmas.
WEDNESDAY 1- FRIDAY 3 OCTOBER 2025
Higham Hall, Bassenthwaite Lake, Cumbria CA13 9SH
For further details, contact Higham Hall (017687 76276)
www.highamhall.com
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Talk
POPLAR HISTORY
Saturday 28th March 2026
(10:00 – 4:00)
St Matthias Community Centre
113 Poplar High Street. London. E14 0AE
(Tel: 020 7987 0459. email: st.matthias@hotmail.co.uk)
At the heart of Poplar, the ex-East India Chapel, the oldest building in Docklands, will host a special day to celebrate the history of Poplar. There will be exhibitions and refreshments. The day includes a talk by Danny Wells ‘Breathing Life into History’ (www.history-talks.co.uk):
A LIFE IN POPLAR
(before & after World War Two)
Stories of Poplar, East London, told through the life of James ‘Pop’ Wells, of ‘Wells’s Junk Shop’ on the East India Dock Road. A world shaped by the Sea, the Docks and Empire.
This talk will start promptly at 12 noon
and the session will run through to 2pm.
This is a free event with no need to book
(but charitable donations welcome).
Getting there:
TUBE: Poplar; All Saints BUS:15, 115, D6, D7, D8
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Residential Course
WEDNESDAY 21-FRIDAY 23 OCTOBER 2026
EXPLORING GARDENS FROM THE ARMCHAIR
(A pilgrimage in search of the history, art and meaning of gardens and gardening)
A series of talks exploring the history of gardens and gardening as well an appreciation of the art of flowers and how gardens have been depicted in British art. The focus will be Georgian and Victorian Britain and the first half of the 20th century. This course could be accused of dwelling on the romance of gardening rather than the hard graft!
Higham Hall
Bassenthwaite Lake,
Cumbria
CA13 9SH
Further details to follow…
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