Great Tarts in Art: High
Culture and the Oldest Profession Linda Smith
Linda Smith has an MA
distinction from Birkbeck College in Art History and is an experienced guide
and lecturer at Tate Britain, Tate Modern and Dulwich Picture Gallery. She also
lectures to secondary school audiences and independent arts societies.
A mixture of
art-historical analysis and scandalous anecdote, this lecture takes a generally
light-hearted look at changing attitudes to sexual morality down the ages by
examining the portraits and careers of some of history’s most notorious
mistresses and courtesans. It also charts the rather complex and ambiguous
attitudes of art and society towards the numerous anonymous working girls at
the lower end of the scale by investigating how they have been represented in
different times and places from the 17th to 20th century.
11th October 2010
Images of Immortality : The Scientific Analysis of Egyptian Mummies.
Dr. Jacky Finch
What is a mummy and
what is the mummification process? Dr Jacky Finch, an honorary member of
the KNH Centre for Biomedical Egyptology at the University of Manchester, will
cover these topics in her lecture this evening. She gained her PhD in
Egyptology with special emphasis on embalming practices. She also looks at
unrolling mummies in the past and the importance of Manchester in the
scientific analysis of mummified tissue and presents examples of what can be
deduced from radiographic imaging. The KNH Centre has as its focus the
application of scientific techniques to ancient remains.
8th November 2010
The Life of the Medieval Monk ; with special reference to St. Werburgh's Abbey, Chester
Dr. John Doran
Dr John Doran has kindly offered to
reschedule this talk which he was unable to give last season as he fell victim
to the volcanic ash cloud! He is Senior Lecturer in Medieval History at the
University of Chester and has published widely on Chester in the Middle Ages.
This evening’s illustrated talk is an attempt to explore the phenomenon of
monasticism so important in the history of Europe, through the daily activities
of an ordinary monk. The Abbey of St. Werburgh will be used as the setting for
the monk’s life and vocation. Why did the monks spend so long in communal
prayer? Why were they allowed to eat the meat of two-legged animals but not
four-legged? How and why were they punished for their misdemeanours? Why were
monasteries founded?
15th November 2010
Solo Walk across Africa.
Fran Sandham
A joint lecture
with the Royal Geographical Society.
After working for
several years as editor of the Rough Guide series, bookseller and also in the
voluntary sector Fran Sandham left the rat race to embark on a walk
along the exotic sounding skeleton coast of Namibia. He would then travel
through Zambia, Zimbabwe, Malawi and
Tanzania – a distance of some 3000 miles. He allocated a year and £3000 for
his trip. Along the way he enjoyed local
hospitality but also endured the
constant stares of astonished children who followed him from village to
village. He began to see himself through African eyes.He fell ill with
malaria the day after he reached the Tanzanian coastline. His account of his
journey was published ten years later.
13th December 2010
The Fourth Estate : The History of UK Newspapers
Mary Murtagh
Q: What is 300 years old and still
gets people talking? A: The UK’s newspaper industry. British
newspapers are the envy of the world with their variety, diversity of opinion
and choice. More than 16 million national newspapers are read every day. Mary Murtagh has a background in
journalism having been senior reporter for the Liverpool Echo and senior news
reporter at the Leicester Mercury. In her talk she goes behind the scenes at
the Daily Mail, Fleet Street’s toughest newspaper, and looks at the inside
story behind the Telegraph’s revelation
of MPs’ expenses. Her talk is full of trade secrets, surprises and stories
about Fleet Street and beyond. She explains why newspapers still matter today
and explores what the future holds for an industry suffering from the recession
and a dwindling number of readers
17th January 2011
The History of Fingerprints and Crime Scenes
Terry Rockall
Following an injury
on duty which brought his career to an abrupt end while serving as a police
officer in the Metropolitan Police Terry Rockall undertook a seven year
training to qualify as a fingerprint expert. He led many teams of fingerprint
personnel at major crime scenes. He retired as Deputy Head of the National
Fingerprint Office at New Scotland Yard. His talk consists of slide
presentations which cover among other things: the early days of fingerprints,
fingerprint pioneers, computerisation and interesting milestones and crime
scene cases. Each presentation is tinged with emotion, humour and occasional
audience participation!
21st February 2011.
Galileo
Professor David Wootten
Professor David Wootten spent his
childhood in Pakistan, his student days in England and his adult life in Canada
until he decided to return to this country where he is now the Anniversary
Professor of History at the University of York. Tackling
Galileo as astronomer, engineer and author David Wootton places him at the
centre of Renaissance culture. He traces him through his early rebellious
years, the beginnings of his scientific career, his trial for heresy, house
arrest and physical decline. He also reveals much that is new, rejecting the
orthodoxy which holds that Galileo was a good Catholic. Central to Galileo’s significance
is the telescope which totally revolutionised the discovery of new and
previously unimaginable facts.
21st March 2011
James Crichton & Co. Shipbuilding on the River Dee
Geoff Pickard
The talk covers a period in history when
large-scale road and air transportation were in their infancy and ships were
very much relied on to carry both passengers and cargo in all parts of the
world. Small shipyards abounded, building a huge variety of vessels for both
naval and merchant use. James Crichton & Co. was one such yard which
operated between 1913 and 1935 on the River Dee. This talk covers the
shipbuilding process, as well as featuring in detail the lives of many of the
wide variety of ships that were constructed there and delivered to customers
all over the world. Geoff Pickard is a Cestrian. He attended the City Grammar School
and then studied at Liverpool University where he graduated in metallurgy.
Before retirement he was managing director of the Chester Lead Works. He has
written two books, but says, “I wouldn’t call myself an author.”
18th April 2011
Astronomy and Art
Professor David Hughes
There are three types of astro-art. Before
the 1870s and the introduction of sensitive photographic plates astronomers themselves
had to be artists. Then there are
true artists who could not resist including astronomical bodies in their
painting. Finally comes that strange amalgam, the scientific artist. Professor David Hughes, Emeritus
Professor of Astronomy at Sheffield University, has spent his life teaching and
explaining the joys and complexities of astronomy to students and conducting
research into the minor bodies of the solar system. He has lectured all over
the world, so is well able to enlighten us this evening. In 1990 asteroid 4205
was named David Hughes in his honour.
16th May 2011
Working with the Homeless in Manchester
Judith Walmsley
Judith Walmsley received a
citation in 2004 when she was listed as one of the 100 “Real Women of
Achievement” by Financial Mail Womens’s Forum (FMWF). “PC Judith Walmsley OBE
from Manchester constabulary was determined to go that extra mile and tackle
the problems faced by the homeless in
the Greater Manchester area. She works closely with homeless charities to
eradicate anti-social behaviour and get people off the streets and into
accommodation. She received an OBE for her efforts.”
20th June 2011
Annual General Meeting (7.15pm) followed by
Animal Architecture : the extraordinary structures animals build Professor Mike Hansell
“Any creature that builds
anything, and I want to know the nature of the built structure and how animals
build it. I have conducted research on
the building behaviour of animals of
various kinds, in particular on the nest building of birds and wasps and on the
case building of caddis fly larvae,” writes Professor Mike Hansell. He continues,
“However my interest now is not so much on individual species as on making
sense of the biology of animal building.”
From 1966 - 68 Professor Hansell was Lecturer in Zoology at the
University of Khartoum. Since then he has held various positions at the
University of Glasgow where he is now Emeritus Professor, Animal Architecture.
What is a mummy and
what is the mummification process? Dr Jacky Finch, an honorary member of
the KNH Centre for Biomedical Egyptology at the University of Manchester, will
cover these topics in her lecture this evening. She gained her PhD in
Egyptology with special emphasis on embalming practices. She also looks at
unrolling mummies in the past and the importance of Manchester in the
scientific analysis of mummified tissue and presents examples of what can be
deduced from radiographic imaging. The KNH Centre has as its focus the
application of scientific techniques to ancient remains.
Dr John Doran has kindly offered to
reschedule this talk which he was unable to give last season as he fell victim
to the volcanic ash cloud! He is Senior Lecturer in Medieval History at the
University of Chester and has published widely on Chester in the Middle Ages.
This evening’s illustrated talk is an attempt to explore the phenomenon of
monasticism so important in the history of Europe, through the daily activities
of an ordinary monk. The Abbey of St. Werburgh will be used as the setting for
the monk’s life and vocation. Why did the monks spend so long in communal
prayer? Why were they allowed to eat the meat of two-legged animals but not
four-legged? How and why were they punished for their misdemeanours? Why were
monasteries founded? 
A joint lecture
with the Royal Geographical Society.
Following an injury
on duty which brought his career to an abrupt end while serving as a police
officer in the Metropolitan Police Terry Rockall undertook a seven year
training to qualify as a fingerprint expert. He led many teams of fingerprint
personnel at major crime scenes. He retired as Deputy Head of the National
Fingerprint Office at New Scotland Yard. His talk consists of slide
presentations which cover among other things: the early days of fingerprints,
fingerprint pioneers, computerisation and interesting milestones and crime
scene cases. Each presentation is tinged with emotion, humour and occasional
audience participation!
Professor David Wootten spent his
childhood in Pakistan, his student days in England and his adult life in Canada
until he decided to return to this country where he is now the Anniversary
Professor of History at the University of York. Tackling
Galileo as astronomer, engineer and author David Wootton places him at the
centre of Renaissance culture. He traces him through his early rebellious
years, the beginnings of his scientific career, his trial for heresy, house
arrest and physical decline. He also reveals much that is new, rejecting the
orthodoxy which holds that Galileo was a good Catholic. Central to Galileo’s significance
is the telescope which totally revolutionised the discovery of new and
previously unimaginable facts.
There are three types of astro-art. Before
the 1870s and the introduction of sensitive photographic plates astronomers themselves
had to be artists. Then there are
true artists who could not resist including astronomical bodies in their
painting. Finally comes that strange amalgam, the scientific artist. Professor David Hughes, Emeritus
Professor of Astronomy at Sheffield University, has spent his life teaching and
explaining the joys and complexities of astronomy to students and conducting
research into the minor bodies of the solar system. He has lectured all over
the world, so is well able to enlighten us this evening. In 1990 asteroid 4205
was named David Hughes in his honour.
“Any creature that builds
anything, and I want to know the nature of the built structure and how animals
build it. I have conducted research on
the building behaviour of animals of
various kinds, in particular on the nest building of birds and wasps and on the
case building of caddis fly larvae,” writes Professor Mike Hansell. He continues,
“However my interest now is not so much on individual species as on making
sense of the biology of animal building.”
From 1966 - 68 Professor Hansell was Lecturer in Zoology at the
University of Khartoum. Since then he has held various positions at the
University of Glasgow where he is now Emeritus Professor, Animal Architecture.
