The Silk Roads have always been a vital route of trade and exchange – not only of goods, but also of knowledge, genes and diseases. In this talk, we will hear how diseases such as the Black Death and smallpox traversed the Silk Roads to become worldwide pandemics, and how DNA from one man’s Y-chromosome Read more

Venice is eternally fascinating. But how did a desperate refugee shanty town built on a swamp turn into the massive trading empire whose billions nourished the creativity of Titian and Veronese, Vivaldi and Monteverdi? In this talk, we’ll hear the fairytale story of why Venice was established in the swamps between the deltas of the Read more

Hendon has long-standing links with aviation, from the days of aviation pioneer Claude Grahame-White, through the Hendon air shows of the 1920s and 1930s, to RAF Hendon’s role in both World Wars, and finally the development of the RAF Museum. Our speaker, David Keen, has always been fascinated by aeroplanes and by the people who Read more

Why are the works of works of two Victorians, WS Gilbert and Arthur Sullivan, still so popular? In this talk, speaker Bernard Lockett reviews the world-wide popularity of Gilbert and Sullivan in the 21st century, and takes a look at the vast amount of social and political satire within the shows, together with their historical Read more

As a poor cousin to neighbouring Hampstead and Highgate, Kentish Town is under-appreciated, and suffers from a widespread myth that here there is little of value here. In this talk, London guide and Kentish Town resident Colin Davey will attempt to debunk this myth, covering amongst other things architecture, transport, public buildings, retail, and notable people. With material Read more

As the final court of appeal for the UK, the Supreme Court plays a vital role in UK life, making legal decisions on everything from commercial, employment and public law, to family law and human rights. These decisions affect people's lives and help shape our society – but how are they made, and who makes them? In Read more

In this illustrated talk, professional plantswoman Caroline Broome takes a look at some of England's finest gardens to see how their grand designs can be adapted to suit our own smaller gardens. From dry or shaded sites to exposed, sunny areas, Caroline will show us there's a planting scheme to suit all garden aspects – and will Read more

Harrods has been in the headlines recently for unfortunate reasons. However, as Londoners, many of us will have personally enjoyed visiting and perhaps shopping in this magnificent and historic department store in Knightsbridge, which is now one of the few remaining in London. But how did this 175-year-old business grow from a humble grocery shop Read more