I have taught across a range of subjects, throughout the educational sector and to a variety of other audiences including local history groups and Women’s Institutes in Yorkshire, Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire. Theses are some of the talks that I offer:
Ædburgh and Elfrida – murderous Saxon queens or victims of fake news. Find out why the Saxons weren’t keen on queens. One queen poisoned her husband and turned down Charlemagne whilst the other, the mother of Æthelred the Unready, bumped off her husband and her step-son. Find out what Asser and St Dunstan did to blacken the reputations of these two royal woman and decide for yourself whether they were guilty or innocent.
Bayeaux Tapestry – 1066 and All That- Explore the pivotal events of the last successful invasion of England using the Bayeux Tapestry as a starting point to find out about Edward the Confessor’s Norman heritage, family feuds and Saxon insurgency.
In Bed with Henry VIII: his Mistresses and Bastards –Enter the dangerous world and scandalous lives of Henry’s women. Meet Henry – chivalrous knight, prude and monster. He only ever acknowledged one illegitimate child but questions remain about several of his mistress’s children.
The Dissolution of the Monasteries- Superstition, Scandal and Dodgy Dealings – Follow Thomas Cromwell, his monastic visitors and accountants as they dismantled the nation’s monastic houses using whatever means were necessary. Meet pirates, highwaymen and thieves – and that’s just a few of the monks!
Tudor: Royal Blood and its Curse –Trace the Tudor family tree to meet the men and women with a claim to England’s crown and find out how their blood condemned them to tragic ends. From Lady Jane Grey, her sisters and her nephews to Arbella Stuart and the Lady Margaret Clifford- Countess of Derby.
Mary Queen of Scots- Captive Queen –The dramatic story of Mary’s captivity, the jealousies and conflicts as well as the plots that surrounded her. Includes locations and people associated with her – from Workington to Fotheringhay via Wingfield and Buxton.
Border Reivers: Gentlemen, Rogues and the Queen’s Cousin – “Stirring times” on the Tudor frontier between England and Scotland. Find out about blackmail, bereavement and ballads, not to mention hot trods, sheep rustling and bastle houses. Meet Kinmont Willie, Lang Sandy, Lord Scrope and Sir Robert Carey.
Bonnie Prince Charlie in the Northwest and the Midlands –Follow Charlie on a journey that includes gallantry, skullduggery and incompetence. Find out where Jacobites took pot shots at a church door, discover the story of England’s last siege and find out why the Jacobites halted at Derby.
A Derbyshire Church ABCedary- An A-Z of quirky and interesting facts about some of Derbyshire’s churches and the historical snippets that they contain. From archery to weather vanes via tombstones, chocolates and tympanum take a journey through British and Derbyshire history.
Silhouettes- from royalty to the end of the pier – An illustrated talk about how silhouettes tuned from an aristocratic Eighteenth Century pastime to an end of pier entertainment. I talk about how to cut silhouettes from paper and the way in which silhouette cutting has changed over the centuries as well as the way crafters use silhouettes and paper cut images today.
Black work Embroidery- threads of history. Find out more about this fascinating form of needlecraft from the Egyptians via Katherine of Aragon to the modern day.
Cross-stitch samplers- from orphans to heiresses. How samplers have evolved since the seventeenth century and some of the meaning behind the motifs.
In addition to the talks listed here I also speak about other periods and individuals of historical interest including the Wars of the Roses, Katherine Swynford, Margaret Beaufort, Lady Anne Clifford, Hans Holbein and Bess of Hardwick.
My fees are currently £50.00 per talk and travel expenses of 5p per mile after the first 15 miles. If you are interested and would like to discuss it further, please contact me using the form below: