by Fed Admin | Jul 15, 2026
History Brought To Life Through Film: The Golden Age of Hollywood Collection Journey through Hollywood’s Golden Age in a beautifully curated collection of richly illustrated talks. Meet the pioneers who built Hollywood, the extraordinary women who shaped its...
by Fed Admin | Dec 3, 2025
Intergenerational narrative theory suggests that sharing family stories with our children across generations and family impacts our character and well-being as adults. Children who know about roots develop a strong identity, making them more resilient with a higher...
by Fed Admin | Oct 23, 2025
Tea Anyone? The Social History of Afternoon Tea How tea drinking was first introduced into society, and how afternoon tea was popularised and became the social institution of England as well as many other countries of the world.This surprisingly wide-ranging lecture...
by Fed Admin | Aug 12, 2025
I have a range of talks all focussing on fashion and social history, the full selection with descriptions are available at meridithtowne.co.uk New for autumn 2025: May Morris & The Glasgow Girls (Arts and Crafts fashion) Romance in the Raj Festive Fifties Sewing...
by Fed Admin | Jul 9, 2025
Warrior Queens & Trailblazing Women: The Historical Heroines of Warwickshire Join me on a journey into the lives of the bold women who helped shape Warwickshire and the ancient kingdom of Mercia! From queens and writers to rebels and revolutionaries, this talk...
by Fed Admin | Jun 19, 2025
Bits & Bobs This is an audience participation event. We bring a box of old items to pass around the group to see if they can guess or work out what they are etc. Many of the items came from my Grandparents village shop, small holding and...
by Fed Admin | Jun 17, 2025
History’s Deadliest Deaths. Discover the fascinating, yet grisly facts behind some of history’s most gruesome forms of execution, from the Brazen Bull to a good hanging! Dressing the Tudors: Merchants’ Style. This talk explores the fashion world of the Tudors, but...
by Fed Admin | Jun 12, 2025
I currently have 11 Zoom talks available, my most popular talks have been ; ‘Tales of A Travel Rep’, Travels With My Daughter, ‘Naples- The Beauty & The Beast’, ‘The Bard’s Italy’ . Please contact me for the full list. ...
by Fed Admin | Apr 22, 2025
1. Matilda and the Normans This talk covers seven important and influential women at the time of Norman England. Starting in 1027 with the birth of William the Conqueror to a peasant girl and ending with the accession of Henry 2nd, son of the Empress Matilda, in...
by Fed Admin | Apr 15, 2025
Paxton’s Arboretum, London Road Cemetery Historic Coventry Trust is a heritage development trust that restores and renovates natural and built heritage in Coventry. One of our properties is the Anglican Chapel in London Road Cemetery – the building has been renovated...
by Fed Admin | Feb 27, 2025
I offer 3 talks as follows: 1. How to Survive in a Toxic World – this interactive and informative talk includes a trip down Memory Lane and will get you thinking about the impact on our health of a world that has become increasingly toxic. I talk about the importance...
by Fed Admin | Feb 25, 2025
FILM PRESENTATION: My film presentation is based on the format of an old type cinema programme, Starting with the logo of a very well-known film distributer. A news reel from the 60s, a typical trailer of two musical films from the 30s and a historical condensed...
by Fed Admin | Feb 25, 2025
A Brief History of Feltmaking: 6,000 years of interlocking stories A fascinating insight to an ancient and worldwide craft. I take you from the frozen tombs of Siberia to central Asia and back to how feltmaking has developed into a contemporary craft in the Western...
by Fed Admin | Jan 1, 2025
1. ‘Richard III – Mystery of the Bones in the Car Park.’ (I was part of the BBC team which reported on the whole story for BBC Leicester). I also include a little bit of light history – looking at what sort of a man Richard was. 2. ‘100 years of Auntie!’ a nostalgic...
by Fed Admin | Dec 18, 2024
FAMILY HISTORY – Talk 1) MAKING A START. Aimed at people not familiar with family history but who may take an interest after my talk. Or, those who are interested but don’t know where to start. Talk 2) MORE THAN JUST A LIST OF NAMES AND DATES. Aimed at those who...
by Fed Admin | Dec 18, 2024
Military History including WW1. We have 8 Talks (please see our website here)
by Fed Admin | Dec 3, 2024
Unless otherwise stated all talks are 45 minutes plus time for Q&A. They are all suitable for in person talks and online via Zoom. All talks are illustrated with a PowerPoint presentation. About the speaker: Dr Julia Phillips is Hon Senior Research...
by Fed Admin | Nov 7, 2024
TRUE CRIME TALES A wide range of historic true crime cases, from the internationally well known to local cases, including but not limited to: THE TRUTH ABOUT JACK THE RIPPER (the real story of the Whitechapel murders of 1888) THE WATCHMAKER’S REVENGE (1880 case of a...
by Fed Admin | Sep 5, 2024
A Thousand Faces – The Untold Story of the Face We all have one, and we see them every day on other people, but what is a face? They can reflect a thousand expressions, yet what do they tell us? And the only one we never see in the flesh is our own – how strange...
by Fed Admin | Jun 13, 2024
*Meltonia, the history of the famous pork pie, with pie ‘raising’ demo *Barrels, Bottles and Bad Decisions’ Boozy tales of the 17th Century. *’A Break from War to Pick a Plum’ tales of food production, war time, the British Restaurants and beyond in the...
by Fed Admin | May 8, 2024
Memoirs of a Royal Footman My talk is about my time within the Royal Household as a Royal Footman from how it all began, through the training, the uniforms, my work in the various Royal Palaces and Castles, and my experiences on The Royal Yacht, The Royal Train and...
by Fed Admin | Feb 28, 2024
I offer 12 talks in total, including Dog Eat Dog, the life of an investigative news journalist (I was once one of these beasts); eight about the Civil War period (I recommend Female Spies, 14 Days: the story of the Siege of Leicester and the Battle of...
by Fed Admin | Dec 13, 2023
No Way Home – a memoir in the making My book is called ‘No Way Home’ -a biography/memoir which tells the story of my German mum and her sister in the aftermath of WW2 in Germany.I translated their diaries from 1945 in which they tell of their 12 month separation...
by Fed Admin | Dec 13, 2023
1.The Mysterious Death of Amy Robsart Amy Robsart was found dead with a broken neck at the foot of a stone staircase in 1560. She was 28 years old. Popular opinion at the time held that her husband, Robert Dudley (later owner of Kenilworth Castle and Lord...
by Fed Admin | Nov 15, 2023
Survival of the fittest (a brief history of childrearing) From a pin to a pram, an amusing but sometimes horrifying account of how our forbears raised their infants. Illustrated with items from my collection of infantilia.
by Fed Admin | Sep 26, 2023
Walking Land’s End to John O’Groats A talk describing my 3 month journey in 2025, walking 1337 miles from Land’s End to John O’Groats; accompanied by my husband, a friend, and my 2 Springer Spaniels, Sushi and Skittle.Journeying through England, Wales and Scotland;...
by Fed Admin | Jun 21, 2023
MASQUERADE – The History of Masks WHERE THERE’S A QUILL THERE’S A PLAY – a light-hearted look behind the Bard THE REPAIR SHOP & ME DENMAN – Our lost Jewel LETS ALL GO TO THE MUSIC HALL – History and Singalong
by Fed Admin | Jun 21, 2023
Uncovering the history of a Northamptonshire farmhouse Chance finds and fortunate coincidences help to reveal the family stories connected to this high street farmhouse. Transforming lives and inspiring change with Practical Action Together, and including a mini...
by Fed Admin | Jun 21, 2023
“She Served Too: Discovering the Women who Served in the First and Second World Wars” “Deeds not Words: The Suffrage Movement and the Fight for the Vote” “Yellow Faces, Brave Hearts: The Unknown Stories of the Canary Girls in World War One”...
by Fed Admin | Jun 21, 2023
The History of the Millennium Way How it started Where it Goes The technology involved Pictures of highlights of the Circular Walks Challenges of HS2
by Fed Admin | Jun 21, 2023
There is more to Warwickshire than Shakespeare The history of Burton Dassett Hills The life of a smallholder and self sufficiency Native and rare breeds of lifestock Needlefelting demonstration or interactive workshops Farm visits, tours and...
by Fed Admin | Jun 21, 2023
POSTMAN’S KNOCK – A History of the Post Office in England and especially in Warwickshire from 1635 to the present day. GENIUS & BENEFACTOR: THE LIFE STORY OF SIR ROWLAND HILL – The educator, inventor, social reformer and mastermind behind introduction of the Penny...
by Fed Admin | Jun 21, 2023
The Agony & Ecstasy of a canal hotel boater I was a hotel boater and audiences are enthralled by the story I tell. Talks are interactive and include 2 songs The life of the wife and family of a canal boatman People are fascinated by the life led by families on...
by Fed Admin | Jun 21, 2023
Peter has written 2 books- and offers 4 talks – The Little History Of Coventry (2019) reprinted 2021 Remembering Coventry 1914-1918 (2016) The Gunpowder Plot and Coventry Coventry characters, including John Rastell, William Wyley and Sir Joseph Paxton. Made In...
by Fed Admin | Jun 21, 2023
Buying and selling at Auction with tales from the auction room. The Hoarder Next Door Browsing Antique Shops Deceased Estates Silver Values – Identification and Investment Amusing stories from Steven’s 50+ years as a Fine Art Auctioneer and Valuer, agent and...
by Fed Admin | Jun 21, 2023
My latest book: Coronation Streets, England then and now Written and published between the death of the late Queen and the crowning of her son, it’s about how much lief has changed for ‘ordinary’ people in the intervening 70 years.
by Fed Admin | Jun 21, 2023
“I provide 5 different fun, lighthearted talks” Hula Hooping for all ages A light-hearted talk about the Hula Hoop’s history, plus a comedy demonstration, followed by some audience participation !! (for those who want to have a try) The History of the...
by Fed Admin | Jun 21, 2023
Maker of Mad and Beautiful Things I give two talks – one is about my bespoke artwork and mad hats and the second talk is about my Indian travels & adventures. “Every picture tells a story!” – I bring samples of the watercolour paintings which people commission to...
by Fed Admin | Jun 21, 2023
Save the Children, then and now History of Save the Children, founded by an amazing Woman Eglantyne Jebb and our work 100 years later My Visit to Liberia with Save the Children My visit to Liberia in West Africa to see some of our projects Receiving my MBE How I...
by Fed Admin | Jun 21, 2023
Basketry and Willow Sculpture A talk about how I became a basket maker, the types of different willows used in basketry and sculpture and a demonstration of a dragonfly or similar. Also, some history on basket making.
