Lectures

This lecture is a Christmas version of the life and times of the most famous novelist in the world.  Charles Dickens was a complex man driven by a vivid imagination and the need to succeed in his chosen career.  Find out why he was often referred to as Jolly Old Christmas and learn what fabulously popular phrase he coined that is still popular today in the Festive Season.

Watercolourist, muralist, ceramicist and wood-engraver, Eric Ravilious (1903-1942) was one of the most distinctive young British artists working between the two World Wars; he is of increasing interest and popularity, as recent exhibitions and sales of his work have revealed. This lecture explores Ravilious’s career, looking both at his place in the long tradition of watercolour painting in England, as well as within the social and cultural context of England in the 1920s and 1930s, leading up to his untimely death as an official war artist in Iceland in 1942.

Without the tireless efforts of Sir Henry J Wood, British musical life would be very different indeed. Organist, vocal pedagogue, recording artist and conductor were all disciplines that defined this indefatigable musician. Aware of the elitist nature of concert life during the late nineteenth century, he set about making music available to everyone by founding the Promenade Concerts at Queen's Hall in 1895 with the impresario Robert Newman. Wood was also quick to recognise the potential of the gramophone, as both a means of mass musical dissemination and as a teaching aid.

In this lecture Bertie recounts the extraordinary tale of how a small bronze statue, 18 inches high, bought by his grandfather in 1951 for seven guineas, which had sat in his garden for 40 years, was discovered to be a masterpiece and ended up in the Getty Museum, California. 
Adriaen de Vries (c1556–1626) was a Northern Mannerist sculptor born in the Netherlands. A technical virtuoso, he created spectacular bronzes for the most discerning patrons of his time, including the Holy Roman Emperor Rudolf II of Prague. He excelled in refined modelling and bronze casting and in the manipulation of patina. He became the most famous European sculptor of his generation.

This lecture provides an amusing and informative look at the clothes, underclothes, shoes and accessories worn by some of the more colourful characters in the Palace’s 300 year history – as well as a look at the House of Dior’s continuing special relationship with Blenheim. The part that arsenic, lead, mercury and mousetraps played in the trends of the day is considered and how then, as now, people went to the most extraordinary lengths to keep abreast of fashion. 

Widely known for his outlandish appearances dressed as his feminine alter ego, Claire, Grayson Perry is now a core part of the art establishment. a Turner Prizewinner, Royal Academician, popular broadcaster and colourful character. He is possibly one of the world’s best known contemporary artists. His works of ceramics, textiles, tapestries and prints are highly sought after. Often controversial, he tackles difficult subjects in a poignant yet witty way and holds a mirror up to society. 
This talk will examine Grayson Perry’s work, his exciting and thought-provoking exhibitions, and the unique character inside the flamboyant frocks. He was knighted in 2023.

For those interested in architectural and garden design of the Victorian and Edwardian periods, the names of Sir Edwin Lutyens and Gertrude Jekyll are inseparably linked. Lutyens’ buildings are the most individual of their time, blending respect for materials, a natural sympathy for the site, and an inventive set of practical and aesthetically pleasing solutions. Equally inspired are the gardens designed by Miss Jekyll. Her work remains a constant source of inspiration to gardeners, with her inventive planting schemes where colour, pattern and texture shape the gardens which she designed. 
Both were in turn inspired by the great changes stimulated by the Arts and Crafts movement. Amongst the schemes to be discussed are Munstead Wood, Deanery Garden –  their marvellous early collaboration – and Hestercombe, near Taunton, their finest work before World War I altered their world for ever.

This lecture provides an insight into this scandalous and sometimes vicious painter whose life was full of drama and passion. It could be argued that his art mirrored his life. He produced work with cinematic compositions and intensely visceral details. He worked mainly for ecclesiastical patrons and his art was shaped by religious ideas of the time held by the various Catholic orders like the Jesuits and the Oratorians. His downfall is the stuff of films and despite dying prematurely his canvases influenced a generation that followed.

This lecture examines the extraordinary life and dramatic times of Oscar Wilde from his Irish roots to his days as a student at Oxford and his meteoric rise to the heights of celebrity. We travel with him to the United States and examine his starring role within the artistic and theatrical worlds of late 19th century London. We visit his home in bohemian Chelsea and some of his favourite West End haunts. Finally, we learn how ‘tired of being at the heights, he plunged into the depths’ and became famous for being INfamous…

It is said in our theatrical history that there was a golden age of British comedy. 
It ran from the 1970’s to the 1980’s and occurred as we started to drift away from theatres and radios, and found ourselves living through a wonderfully rich period of television comedy. 
Tyler takes us back to that nostalgic time when we were watching tv as families with such golden oldies as Steptoe and Son, Porridge and Dad’s Army with their fabulous actors that made us all laugh so much.