Presentations
My presentations highlight local themes and include personal testimony, anecdotes and stories. Use is made of archeology, contemporary and modern images, maps, photographs, artefacts and memoirs. EACH PRESENTATION IS AVAILABLE VIA ZOOM!
The cost of each presentation is £80, travel expenses included within 50 miles of Buckingham.
I provide biographical information, a relevent image and details about each presentation.
Above all, I look to make the presentations enjoyable and interesting, taking into account the prior knowledge of the audience to whom I'm talking!
First World War Presentations
'Five RAF Indian Pilots of the Great War'
'Hardit Singh Malik - The Flying Sikh'
The Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry on the Somme 1916'
'Oxfordshire on the Home Front 1914-18'
‘Armistice 1918 and After: Some Local Perspectives’
'The Indian Army during the First World War: An Oxford and Bucks Light Infantry Perspective’
'Nobody's Heroes: 8th East Lancs at War 1914-18'
'Banbury Munitions Factory during the Great War'
Second World War Presentations
'Oxfordshire in the Second World War'
British Civil War Presentations
'Warrior Women of the English Civil War, 1642-51'
‘The Battle of Cropredy Bridge and the Oxford Campaign 1644'
'Soldiers, Saints and Sinners: Oxfordshire Characters from the British Civil War 1642-6’
‘The City of Oxford during the Civil War 1642-46’
'The Battle of Edgehill 1642'
'The Battle of Naseby 1645'
'Buckinghamshire in the Civil War 1642-6'
‘Oxfordshire’s Military Heritage - 43AD to the present day’
'Oxfordshire in the British Civil Wars 1642-51'
New presentations:
'Warrior Women of the English Civil War, 1642-51'
During the English Civil War women were not meek bystanders who took no part in the conflict but actively participated in a variety of ways, challenging the orthodoxies of their day and perhaps our own preconceptions.
This talk looks briefly at six women who took part in the fighting, undertook spying missions and negotiated deals with politicians.
It also touches briefly upon cross-dressing soldiers; widows seeking compensation from Parliament and political activists.
The presentation lasts for 50 mins approximately, is fully illustrated and offers links for further reading following the event.
'The British Civil Wars, 1642-51, in Eight Paintings'
This presentation highlights some important moments during the Civil Wars of the mid seventeenth century, as represented in works of art. It focuses particularly on portraits and scenes executed at the time and those canvases produced in the Victorian era.
Art historian Roy Strong calculated that during the nineteenth century, more works of art were produced depicting scenes connected with Charles I, Oliver Cromwell, Henrietta Maria and the struggle of Cavalier versus Roundhead than for any other period of British history!
The presentation lasts for approximately fifty minutes, highlights both well-known and forgotten pieces and is a stimulating way to find out more about one of the most important periods in British history. Fully illustrated.
'Trench Humour in the First World War'
Soldiers often turned to humour to alleviate the stress of life in the trenches. Jokes, puns, and satirical songs were a part of the soldiers’ oral culture. Much of the humour was lost on those outside the soldiers’ group, but it resonated with the soldiers and allowed them to cope with the strain of service and combat.
This presentation takes a light-hearted look at trench humour in slang and through tunes, cartoons, satirical journals, concert parties and in many other ways.
The presentation is fully illustrated, includes film clips and the odd musical recording. It lasts for approximately 50 minutes.