Charlecote Park
LECTURE PROGRAMME AUTUMN 2023
Non-members are welcome to attend the lectures - Admission Charge:
RNTA Members £2.00*
Non-members £3.00*
*Admission charge includes refreshments
Thursday 5th October 2023 2.30pm Dunchurch Village Hall
A Victorian Splendour - The Golden Age of British Glass Speaker: Charles Hajdamach
Glass geniuses
John Northwood, George Woodall, Aspley Pellatt
Fabulous glass in a kaleidoscope of colours and decorative techniques
Cut and engraved glass, cameo and rock crystal glass, pressed glass and Art Nouveau
British glass at its very best
This will be Charles’ very last presentation to Rugby National Trust, as he is retiring from lecturing at the end of this year.
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Wednesday 18th October 2023 7.30pm Dunchurch Village Hall
William Morris (1834-1896) - A Re-evaluation Speaker: Rowan Roenisch
William Morris, famous to this day for his Arts and Crafts pioneering designs and flat patterns, is sometimes believed to be a machine hater and backward-looking medievalist; and, as a socialist, has been criticised for being a wealthy businessman. This lecture attempts to correct misunderstandings and to show the inter-connections between his many activities.
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Thursday 2nd November 2023 2.30pm 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.
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Wednesday 15th November 2023 7.30pm Dunchurch Village Hall
Canals Worldwide - Large and Small! Speaker: Anthony Adams
Anthony will present a gentle, colourful talk about man-made waterways, watercourses and irrigation channels, as well as boat canals, from all around the world. Water ways from ancient Mesopotamia to the incredible South North Chinese Canal system, the biggest ever engineering project in the world.
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Thursday 7th December 2023 2.30pm Dunchurch Village Hall
A Norfolk Journey Speaker: Keith Holmes
Keith returns to us once more with another of his high-quality photographic presentations, this time travelling across the unique and fascinating county of Norfolk. He hasn’t given us a full description of the talk, but says it is very popular and that “we won’t be disappointed!”
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Thursday 18th January 2024 2.30pm Dunchurch Village Hall
RNTA Annual General Meeting
Followed by........
The Life and Crimes of Agatha Christie Speaker: Mark Temple
Following his outstanding in-depth talk about Stoneywell Cottage and the Gimson family last Autumn, Mark returns with a popular presentation about one of Britain’s best-loved writers. The title says it all!
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Thursday 1st February 2024 2.30pm Dunchurch Village Hall
Bolsover Castle through the Ages Speaker: Ian Morgan
From its humble Norman beginnings through its early 17th-century magnificence, the castle has settled into a beautiful shadow of its former glory. It stands as a monument to the Cavendish family who lavished money and love on their “Pleasure Palace”, leaving as their legacy a romantic ruin and stunning paintings within the “Little Castle”.
This talk will also provide a taster for RNTA’s proposed visit to Bolsover Castle in July.
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Wednesday 21st February 2024 7.30pm Dunchurch Village Hall
A Midlands Canal Miscellany - an Odyssey Through Time Speaker: Roger Butler
Roger will take us on a fascinating journey through time and place along the Midlands canal network, visiting Rugby, Braunston, Coventry and Birmingham and elsewhere, evoking the beauty and romance of the canals, as well as their industrial past.
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Thursday 7th March 2024 2.30pm Dunchurch Village Hall
For those in Peril on the Sea - Britain’s Lighthouses Speaker: Kate Wills
Kate gave us colourful and fascinating talks on Northampton Guildhall and World War I Concert Parties, and now comes back again in a totally different direction – the history and architecture of our lighthouses!
Godrevy Lighthouse
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Wednesday 20th March 2024 7.30pm Dunchurch Village Hall
Robert Dudley, Elizabeth I, and the Kenilworth Entertainment of 1575 Speaker: Gillian White
For three weeks in the summer of 1575 the eyes of England were on Kenilworth, where the castle’s owner, Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester, was entertaining his sovereign, Queen Elizabeth I.
The entertainments were some of the most elaborate ever offered to a monarch, with gods, goddesses, legendary Arthurian characters, mermaids, giant dolphins, singers and acrobats all pressed into action. But many people also saw in it a last attempt by the earl to persuade Elizabeth to marry him. The talk tells the story of the romance and of the Kenilworth entertainment and its aftermath.
Another welcome return by an outstanding speaker.
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