Charlecote Park
LECTURE PROGRAMME AUTUMN 2026
Non-members are welcome to attend the lectures - Admission Charge:
RNTA Members £2.00*
Non-members £3.00*
*Admission charge includes refreshments
Thursday 1st October 2026 2.30pm Dunchurch Village Hall
The Notorious Culworth Gang of South Northamptonshire Speaker: Richard Blacklee
Richard explains the location of the village of Culworth in a historical context and gives the names of known gang members and where they operated. He describes the circumstances of arrests, imprisonment, trials and hangings is 1787.
The talk includes a brief introduction to Northampton Sessions House and County Goal, impressive buildings dating back to the 1680s.
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Wednesday 21st October 2026 7.30pm Dunchurch Village Hall
Tea and the Empress of China Speaker: Mike Burton
China tea was a British obsession. It sparked a global battle which ran for two centuries, almost leading to the collapse of China. Her saviour was a no-nonsense princess who shrewdly kept the predatory trading powers at arm’s length. This is a story of spies, fast sailing ships and a plan to “transplant China into India”- all because we love our “cuppa”.
Thursday 5th November 2026 2.30pm Dunchurch Village Hall
The Starley Family of Sussex and Coventry Speaker: John Starley
A tale of bobbins, bicycles, batteries, bangers and buses. A canter through the meteoric development of Coventry from the 1600’s seen through the eyes of one family.
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Wednesday 18th November 2026 7.30pm Dunchurch Village Hall
Carpathia: The Midnight Dash Speaker: Andrew Lound
Of the many stories about the Titanic, one remains rarely told in detail - that is the story of Captain Rostron and the Cunard ship Carpathia that raced to the Titanic’s rescue. In a very dramatic performance Carpathia’s role in the Titanic story is relived demonstrating the incredible actions of Captain Rostron, his crew and of course Harold Cottam, the radio operator who acted on the call from the Titanic.
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Thursday 3rd December 2026 2.30pm Dunchurch Village Hall
A Medieval Christmas Speaker: Michael Brown
Michael presents this in 14th Century clothing and talks about the Christmas traditions, myths and plants of the medieval period, with music played on early instruments.
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Thursday 21st January 2027 2.30pm Dunchurch Village Hall
RNTA Annual General Meeting
Followed by........
A Brief History of Lime and Cement in the Rugby Area Speaker: John Frearson
Lime was first produced by the Walker family at Newbold in 1776, a few years after the canal was opened across their land. They developed their cement works on the present site in New Bilton from 1865 and built their first rotary kiln in 1910. This talk, based largely on rescued archives, shows a succession of legal cases until better management in the late 1800s and continued expansion until the 1960s before take overs by RMC in 2000 and CEMEX in 2005.
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Thursday 4th February 2027 2.30pm Dunchurch Village Hall
Delivering a Greener Rugby Speakers: Alex Becker and Ellie Lawson
Firstly Ellie, as Climate Change Projects Officer, will talk about the work Rugby Borough Council is doing to protect our local environment and mitigate the effects of climate change. After the interval Alex, as Waste Services Development Officer, will talk on tackling waste and promoting the circular economy in Rugby.
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Wednesday 17th February 2027 7.30pm Dunchurch Village Hall
Japan: Ikebana and the Floating World Speaker: Laura Malpas
Laura will talk about the history of Ikebana, Japanese flower arranging which was brought to Japan in association with Buddhism in the 6th century AD. Originally it was a male only practice, reserved for the Emperor and his courtiers, monks and samurai before becoming a mainstream part of the Japanese refined arts.
After the interval Laura will give a shortened version of the talk postponed from November 2025:
The Floating World - The Beauty of Japan
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Thursday 4th March 2027 2.30pm Dunchurch Village Hall
The Chelsea Peers - Charles Rennie Mackintosh Speaker: Robert Kendall
The title is an obvious pun on the Chelsea Years that Mackintosh spent in London from the end of 1914-22 and beyond in France from 1922 to 1926. Specifically, it regards the architectural work he was engaged in (but never materialised) and his landscape work in France. The story also considers the other artistic movements in London and those he associated with such as JD Fergusson, the Scottish colourist, and his wife, Meg Morris, and how it connects with the German Bauhaus
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Wednesday 17th March 2027 7.30pm Dunchurch Village Hall
Wigs, Whiskers & Warships: The Extraordinary World of Willy Clarkson, Royal Perruquier and Costumier Speaker: Ann Featherstone
Eccentric and flamboyant Willy Clarkson is perhaps the most famous man you’ve never heard of! He was the reputed disguiser of Dr Crippen and any number of policemen and ne’er-do-wells and provider of fancy-dress costumes for the Kaiser and the Prince of Wales. Everyone in theatre-land knew him, yet he died in mysterious circumstances and his will was found to be forged. It is a story which is both strange and fascinating.
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