The ‘Wars of the Roses’: civil war in England and the ascent of the Tudors
This course is now fully booked. Please contact us if you would like to be placed on the waiting list in case of any cancellations. Over six weeks, we will explore the exciting and chaotic world of Fifteenth century England … More details …
Astronomy
Chris Sperring MBE may be known to some for his work in Wildlife Conservation for which he was awarded the M.B.E by the Queen in 2001. Chris also presents on TV and Radio bringing his enthusiasm for the natural world … More details …
Selected novels of Jane Austen
Austen’s use of irony, social commentary, humour and realism are some of the reasons why her novels have remained popular over the last 200 years. This course will look at Sense and Sensibility (1811) which an early review described as … More details …
From the Bayeux Tapestry to the Wilton Diptych
After a brief survey of the period from the eleventh century to the fifteenth, we will focus firstly on the Bayeux Tapestry – “one of the most enchanting pieces of narrative art in existence” ( Talbot Rice). It is a … More details …
Empires: Part 3 – the rise of Europe
This day school focuses on the history and interaction of Empires in the Modern Era from about 1450 CE to the present day. The main theme is the rise of Europe, but we will not forget the formidable adversaries European … More details …
Vaughan Williams – Renaissance Man
The composer Ralph Vaughan Williams was fascinated by the ancient music of his homeland and as his explorations widened, he led a generation of English composers in a new renaissance of national music. Renowned for his quintessentially English compositions, Vaughan … More details …
Against the Odds: how women writers found their voices and got published
Virginia Woolf said that ‘Intellectual freedom depends upon material things.’ We shall explore this concept as it applies to women writers in Britain from the 17th to the early 19th century. Using a mix of literary texts we shall focus … More details …
Birds on a String
This course is now fully booked. Please contact us if you would like to be placed on a waiting list in case of any cancellations. Traditionally, these strings of embellished textile birds were found in homes throughout India. It was … More details …
National Treasures: More Iconic Paintings from the National Gallery
This course is now fully booked. Please contact us if you would like to be placed on a waiting list in case of any cancellations. In this study day we will continue to investigate some of the greatest paintings in … More details …
Introduction to Greek Theatre
This one-day course is designed as an entertaining introduction to the subject, rather than a heavy-weight academic course for experts. Students who have no knowledge whatsoever of the ancient world will be made just as welcome as those with previous … More details …
Goodbye Mutti? German politics during the Merkel years and beyond
After the upheaval of the social and economic reforms enacted by the Schröder government, Angela Merkel seemed the voice of reason, and Germans didn’t mind her wooden demeanour. Her handling of the financial and migration crises as well as the … More details …
‘Moon Tiger’ by Penelope Lively – the shaping of history in fictional worlds
Penelope Lively’s seventh novel was published in 1987. Ostensibly a novel about one woman’s extraordinary life, the story is complex, playing with time and view-points. It raises questions about history that provide us with a starting point for exploring our … More details …
Caspar David Friedrich – Humanity and Nature
2024 sees the 250th anniversary of the birth of Caspar David Friedrich, the father of German Romanticism. He transformed landscape painting into ‘art for a new age’, examining the relationship between man and the natural world. Key pictures by Friedrich … More details …
Better than Nothing
We find it so easy to write down any number using our ten digit system that we do not realise how long it took to invent or appreciate how difficult it was. In this day school we shall look at … More details …
From Power to Prodigy House: the country house in Tudor England
This study day will survey the development of the country house in Tudor England. We will begin with discussion of “power houses” including Sutton Place and Hampton Court, with consideration of their architectural features as well as their internal fixtures. … More details …