Thursday morning talks
Thursday Morning Talks
Thursday 11 January, 25 January, 8 February, 29 February, 14 March, 28 March, 18 April
10:30am – 12pm
£3 per talk or £20 for the whole series. Includes free tea, coffee and biscuits.
Booking essential
Book a Thursday morning talks series ticket
Thursday 11 January
Alfred Cockerill, Northampton’s Forgotten Philanthropist
10:30am – 12pm
Speaker: Bob Farey
Alfred Cockerill was a leading philanthropist and benefactor to the town. He arrived in Northampton in 1857, penniless, but went on to make a fortune from farming and market gardening. He used his wealth to promote structural, social and sporting initiatives in Northampton. The talk will cover his life and legacy.
Book a ticket for Alfred Cockerill
Thursday 25 January
Singing for Victory: the forces’ sweethearts of WW2
10:30am – 12pm
Speaker: Melody Flyte
A talk about the lives and experience of three Sweethearts - Gracie Fields, Joyce Grenfell and Vera Lynn - who went out with ENSA (Entertainments National Service Association) into the theatres of war to sing for troops behind the lines and in the hospitals. Featuring performances of WW2 songs including We'll Meet Again and the White Cliffs of Dover.
Book a ticket for singing for victory
Thursday 8 February
All I Did Was Go For a Walk
10:30am – 12pm
Speaker: Dave Askew
After experiencing a health scare in 2013 Dave started a blog to share his love for walking in Northamptonshire. His website receives more than 1 million views a year and the Facebook Group has over 33,000 members, all with links to Northamptonshire. Dave shares stories from more than 210 walks in Northamptonshire plus another 169 outside the County and across the world. Last year he took over 4000 people on Group Walks.
Book a ticket for go for a walk
Thursday 29 February
Was your ancestor a criminal?
10:30am – 12pm
Speaker: Colin Chapman During this illustrated talk, describing examples of offences in Northamptonshire regarded as crimes in past centuries, Dr Chapman will ask the audience to consider “Was your ancestor a criminal?”
Book a ticket for was your ancestor a criminal
Thursday 14 March
Treading the Duckboards
10:30am – 12pm
Speaker: Kate Wills
As the Great War raged amid shot and shell, songs, dance and laughter were created by the troops themselves. This is the story of their shows at the front.
Book a ticket for treading the duckboards
Thursday 28 March
Medieval Surgery
10:30am – 12pm
Speaker: Steve Bacon
Steve explains the theory of the four humours that underpinned Medieval medicine and demonstrates the skill of the surgeon. Live leeches add the eeeek factor to some of this talk. While it is not possible for these sessions to be too ‘hands on’ – or should that be ‘hands off’? Audience participation is encouraged and questions are answered with relish – or is that just fake blood?
Book a ticket for medieval surgery
Thursday 18 April
Walter & Frank
10:30am – 12pm
Speaker: Graham Mckechnie
This is the story of two extraordinary men from Northampton: Walter Tull and Frank Anderson. One from the Cobblers, one from the Saints. Both were the first mixed heritage players for those clubs and both later went to war.
Book a ticket for Walter and Frank