Lectures

London’s sumptuous Victorian and Edwardian department stores changed the capital and changed its women. Shoppers of every rank were lavishly wooed, seduced and often undone by the temptations laid out before them in these new ‘cathedrals of desire’.
Starting on Oxford Street’s ‘golden mile’, we will set off on a cultural tour of the capital’s big stores – from snooty Marshall & Snelgrove, to Pontings ‘House of Value’; from Kennards’ wart-removal service to the live flamingos atop Derry & Toms; from Bodgers of Ilford to Bon Marché of Brixton.
How did it feel to enter a great store in 1850 – and in 1950? What was it like to serve? From shoppers to shop girls, publicity stunts to wow factor window dressing this lecture aims to present a fascinating slice of social history with wonderful period images.

Many viewers of a BBC4 profile of artists who work out in nature, presented by Dr James Fox, were haunted by the fire stacks of the only female artist featured, Julie Brook. Simon’s lecture explores this fascinating artist and the range of her work over four decades in some of the world’s wild places, centred always on her passion for the islands and coast of West Scotland where she lives. From drawings, oil painting and film to her powerful physical interventions in the landscapes of Britain, North Africa and Japan that engage with the elements of earth, air, fire and water, Julie Brook’s work takes its place alongside such pioneers as Andy Goldsworthy, David Nash and Richard Long.
Simon knows Julie well and has access to her archive including never before seen photographs of her work. The lecture, which charts her career, will include fragments from her astonishing art films.

We have always enjoyed social gatherings and, as Christmas approaches, we kick off the festive season with this lecture that traces people having fun throughout the ages from Roman times to the present. Through a number of themes, beginning with children learning to party through playing together to courtship and marriage, dinner parties, dancing and finally a bit of excess drinking (the gods of mythology were famous for it), Alice will trace a variety of merrymaking, banqueting, dances and music in a feast of colour.