A talk by Alun Jones. Lichfield. What comes to mind? The Ladies of the Vale, Georgian elegance, Dr. Johnson and a "loyal and ancient city". We think of tradition, history and an innate quiet conservatism but beneath the polished façade of this Cathedral City lies a deep, enduring and sometime bloody streak of radicalism. Uncover the rebels, the thinkers and...

 International Women’s Day Talk 2026 Elizabeth Garrett Anderson: The First Woman Doctor Join us at Erasmus Darwin House to celebrate the remarkable life and legacy of Elizabeth Garrett Anderson (1836–1917) — the first woman to qualify as a doctor in Britain, and a pioneer who transformed the future of women in medicine. “When I felt rather overcome with my...

Everyone knows of the error which resulted in the deaths of many troops at the Charge of the Light Brigade, but this is by no means the only error nor does it come close to the biggest error in history. Hear how history has recorded some of the dopiest decisions, some of which can hardly...

Talk by Sheelagh James. A stand-alone talk looking at foul deeds in the 18C. An examination of those who faced the ‘short drop’, from poisoners to body snatchers, from master killers to servant killers and more in between. Not for those of a delicate disposition!  

The Greeks called her Aphrodite. Cyprus is known as the “Island of Aphrodite”. The Romans renamed her Venus. But who is this ancient Goddess of Love, and what is her story? Join Sundeep Braich on a journey through time, travel, legend and mythology to explore a Greco-Roman goddess whose myths still shape how we think...