History Lectures
Why not join one of our very successful series of history lecture lunches?
Across the Pond, the Pioneers - With Colin Hobbs
Saturday 25th September
"It is impossible!" That was the official and technical view of flying the North Atlantic by aeroplane in 1918. And all the evidence supported this view.
Flying was seen as a foolhardy hobby for the rich - or possibly an interesting circus act - and to cross 2,000 miles of uncharted water was, to any sane person, just impossible. So when Lord Northcliffe offered a prize of £10,000 to the first man to fly non-stop across the Atlantic, this became the catalyst for intense rivalry between the British - who were the most powerful aviation country in the world at that time - and the Americans.
On Saturday 25th September, aviation historian Colin Hobbs will recount the story of the amazing struggles and gambles of the pioneers which led to the first Atlantic crossing. Colin has spent almost his entire working career in the civil aviation industry, principally running airports and airlines, and has a deep knowledge of the business both in front, and behind, the scenes.
Non-residential - £55.00 per person
Includes: Morning coffee, presentation, pre-lunch drinks reception, three-course lunch with wines and coffee.
Overnight Package - From £174.50 per person
Includes: All elements above, overnight accommodation, continental breakfast, full use of the spa and leisure facilities. Prices are based on two guests sharing a Bronze Room.
'Tommy' - The British soldier on the Western Front' with Professor Richard Holmes
Sunday 17th October
Military historian Professor Richard Holmes is returning to Chewton Glen on Sunday 17th October to discuss the fate of 'Tommy Atkins. full private' - the popular name for the millions of ordinary British soldiers who fought in the first World War on the Western Front.
Of this man little has been heard, but this talk is about the war as it was fought in the words of those who fought it. The poems of Wilfred Owen, Siegfried Sassoon and others have their own truths to offer, but Holmes would dispute the assumption that they represent the experiences of the majority of those who endured the trench warfare of the Western Front. Beneath the stereotypical images of the First World War that we all carry in our heads, the real lives of the men who fought it are still there to be discovered and Richard Holmes' talk will bring them forcefully to our attention.
Non-residential - £55.00 per person
Includes: Morning Coffee, presentation, pre-lunch drinks reception, three-course lunch with wines and coffee, book signing.
Overnight Package - From £174.50 per person
Includes: All elements above, overnight accommodation, continental breakfast, full use of the spa and leisure facilities. Prices are based on two guests sharing a Bronze Room
Peter Snow - To War with Wellington
Saturday 11th December
TV celebrity and broadcaster Peter Snow will return to Chewton Glen to recount the story of Britain's triumphant war with Napoleon 200 years ago. The Duke of Wellington's campaign with Napoleonic France was one of the most successful in military history.
It started with a tiny foothold in Portugal in August 1808 and ended with the decisive battle of Waterloo in 1815 and the destruction of Napoleonic France. Two hundred years ago the Duke of Wellington's name was on the lips of every citizen of Europe and his string of victories over those seven years played a decisive part in creating the balance of power in Europe that was to last for a century.
Non-residential - £55.00 per person
Includes: Morning coffee, presentation, pre-lunch drinks reception, three-course lunch with wines and coffee.
Overnight Package - From £174.50 per person
Includes: All elements above, overnight accommodation, continental breakfast, full use of the spa and leisure facilities. Prices based on two guests sharing a Bronze Room.
