Charlecote Park
LECTURE PROGRAMME AUTUMN 2024
Non-members are welcome to attend the lectures - Admission Charge:
RNTA Members £2.00*
Non-members £3.00*
*Admission charge includes refreshments
Thursday 3rd October 2024 2.30pm Dunchurch Village Hall
Beguiled by Bridges (Part 2 -Europe) Speaker: Keith Holmes
In this, the second of his talks on bridges, Keith shows those from his travels in Europe. The French connection includes the sights along the banks of the River Seine in Paris and in southern France, the engineering genius of the Millau viaduct. There are tales to be told about the bridges in Amsterdam, Lisbon, Seville, Rome and Venice with a few surprises along the way. Keith blends history and engineering with the beauty and delight of the bridges and their surroundings.
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Wednesday 16th October 2024 7.30pm Dunchurch Village Hall
Yōkoso! Welcome to Japan! Speaker: Laura Malpas
Have you ever dreamed of visiting this magical country, and wondered what it might be like? Laura has visited Japan regularly over the last 15 years, and her talk is illustrated with many photographs showing what a visitor might expect.
Highlighting the “must-see” elements of Japan, and the exciting differences between the Japanese and English cultures, this interactive talk gives a fascinating introduction to a unique country which respects its past whilst embracing the ultra-modern.
Thursday 7th November 2024 2.30pm Dunchurch Village Hall
The Restoration of 78 Derngate, Northampton Speaker: Robert Kendall
78, Derngate, Northampton is the only house in England modernised and designed by the great Arts and Crafts architect and artist Charles Rennie Mackintosh, for the highly successful modelmaker W J Bassett-Lowke. The talk will describe the painstaking restoration of the house in the first years of this century, bringing the highly original interiors by Mackintosh back to life.
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Wednesday 20th November 2024 7.30pm Dunchurch Village Hall
Capability Brown: Hero or Hooligan? Speaker: Michael Brown
Lancelot “Capability” Brown was probably most famous garden and landscape designer. Was he the vandal some people say? Did he beautify or destroy natural landscapes? After Michael’s talk, you can decide for yourselves.
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Thursday 5th December 2024 2.30pm Dunchurch Village Hall
The Life and Rhymes of John Betjeman Speaker: Mark Temple
Betjeman (1906-1984) was arguably one of the greatest ever English poets, certainly one of the most popular. He was Poet Laureate from 1972 until his death, a founding member of the Victorian Society, and a passionate defender of Victorian architecture, helping to save St. Pancras station buildings from demolition. Mark Temple will take us through his life, starting out as a journalist, through his poetry and as a much-loved figure on British television.
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Thursday 16th January 2025 2.30pm Dunchurch Village Hall
RNTA Annual General Meeting
Followed by........
The Impossible Railway - The Canadian Pacific Railway Speaker: Anthony Addams
In just four years, between 1881 and 1885, Canada was forged into one nation by the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Anthony Addams illustrates the incredible achievement against amazing odds, building 3000 miles of track through mountains, prairies, swamps and rock.
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Thursday 6th February 2025 2.30pm Dunchurch Village Hall
Lord Curzon of Kedleston Speaker: Danny Wells
George Nathaniel Curzon (1859-1925) was one of the most talented, colourful and controversial of British statesmen. As Queen Victoria’s last Viceroy of India, his dramatic resignation signalled the end of an era; as Foreign Secretary, he was an important figure on the international stage following WW I. His work on conservation of historic buildings was of great importance, both in England and India. Curzon was mocked as “a most superior person” even as an Oxford undergraduate. His ruthless ambition, commanding intellect and fervent imperialism drove him relentlessly. Plagued by ill health, he was a man of prodigious energy; yet his life has been described as “an unparalleled blend of triumph and disappointment”. Danny Wells will tell us why. This talk will also provide a taster for RNTA’s proposed visit to Kedleston Hall, the Curzon seat, in May.
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Wednesday 19th February 2025 7.30pm Dunchurch Village Hall
The Great Fire of Warwick 1694 Speaker: Gillian White
On Wednesday 5 September 1694, much of the centre of Warwick was devastated by a great fire. In the immediate aftermath the town’s leaders gathered to bring relief to the citizens and then, as the urgent crisis passed, they rebuilt Warwick to be one of the most modern and elegant towns in the Midlands. The talk tells the story of the fire and the actions of the town’s leaders, and the looks at some of the most impressive post-fire buildings still standing in the town.
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Thursday 6th March 2025 2.30pm Dunchurch Village Hall
The Calke Abbey Story Speaker: Stephen Hartley
Calke Abbey is a relatively unknown great eighteenth-century stone mansion standing in the middle of its large enclosed park. It lies is a hollow, on the site of an Augustinian priory, and was built by Sir John Harpur in 1703. The National Trust presents it as a unique country house in decline. How did it become like this? The talk highlights how the house developed, from its early days to the time of the Harpurs and the Crewes, and the reasons for its serious decline.
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Wednesday 19th March 2025 7.30pm Dunchurch Village Hall
Cacti and Canyons Speaker: Roger Butler
This illustrated talk will explore wild landscapes and iconic National Parks in the south-west of the USA, with spectacular geology and panoramic scenery. High-lights include deep gorges, huge canyons and windswept arches; tall cacti, colourful flowers and varied wildlife.
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