Date - 27 Sep 2024 Time - 20:00 (Doors open 19:30) Location - Weston Turville Village Hall Title - “Henry VIII and the Art of Kingship” Speaker – Siobhan Clarke Entrance - £2 members, £3 visitors “ Henry VIII and the Art of Kingship” Siobhan Clarke Meeting on Friday 27 th Sep 2024 No English king is as well-known to us as Henry VIII. He is famous for six marriages, breaking with the Pope, dissolving the monasteries and creating the Church of England; and for his ruthless elimination of those who stood in his way. But he was also an enthusiastic patron of the arts whose palaces, tapestries and paintings enriched the Tudor court and began the Royal Collection. The forces that influenced Henry’s life can be seen in the works he commissioned, by artists such as Pietro Torrigiano, Hans Holbein and Giralomo da Treviso. They tell us much about his kingship and (unintentionally) his insecurities. Ultimately, each...
Date - 25 Apr 2025 Time - 20:00 (Doors open 19:30) Location - Weston Turville Village Hall Title - “Boudica of the Iceni” Speaker – Don Chiswell Entrance - £2 members, £3 visitors Thornycroft’s statue: Boudica and her Daughters (1902). Photo by Paul Walter Discover the fierce warrior queen, Boudica, whose revolt in AD 60/61 nearly toppled Roman rule in Britain! Who was she? Why did she dare to challenge the might of Rome? What led to her eventual defeat? Boudica's closest approach to Weston Turville was likely during her attack on Verulamium (modern-day St Albans), just 25 miles from here. The exact location of Bodica's defeat on Watling Street is unknown, one suggestion is Arbury Banks, Hertfordshire - 52 miles away. Join us for an enthralling evening with Don Chiswell, an experienced and captivating speaker known for his fascinating take on historical events. With over 20 years of experience, Don is renowned fo...
Date - 28 Mar 2025 Time - 20:00 (Doors open 19:30) Location - Weston Turville Village Hall Title - “Discovering the Invisible” Speaker – Keith Westcott Entrance - £2 members, £3 visitors Join Us for a Fascinating Journey! Starting as a plumbing apprentice after leaving school at fifteen, Keith faced a tough road to the top. Along the way, he balanced the stresses of creating multimillion-pound businesses with exciting hobbies like racing motorbikes (MotoX), playing lead guitar in rock bands, and deep-sea diving on shipwrecks. A European specialist in heating engineering, a passionate metal detectorist and Time Team Detecting Team Manager. Keith is also a keen amateur archaeologist and advocate of responsible detecting. He made headlines with his discovery of a huge Roman villa at Broughton, Oxfordshire. Keith wrote and teaches the first-ever course on Metal Detecting for Archaeological Projects at the University of Oxford. His talk will be a whistle-stop tour covering: • ...