Events at: Westerham Hall

The Magical Mystery of Houdini

The return of the charismatic Joe Mendell following his much appreciated and humorous talk on The American Presidents in Bits and Pieces.  This time, Joe will tell the story of the greatest magician of his era and with some surprises too. What made him so special? Why was he so good? We will find out on 8th February.

Carriage Driving: The Story

A presentation by Sara Howe, who runs Bradbourne Carriage Driving Centre in Sevenoaks. She has been a top international carriage driver since 2003, representing Great Britain as a team member in 7 World Championships and is a bronze medal winner. This is an opportunity to hear about the history and drama of the sport.

The Mistresses of King Charles II

The talk will cover the many mistresses of the King and how they vied for position and the privileges the position gave them. The speaker is John Halligan, a well known London Guide and Freeman of the City of London. John will also explain how some of the mistresses have links with the aristocracy today.    

Women Aviators

Anna Astin’s presentation on Women Aviators. Anna is well know for her presentations on Women in Motoring and The Women of the First World War. It promises to be another interesting and entertaining evening.

Cold War Pilot to Gulf War Commander

Talk by Air Vice Marshall Nigel Day, educated at King’s School Canterbury and Imperial College, recounts highlights form his RAF career which took him from Lossiemouth to involvement in the Gulf War and later Kosovo.

The Great Storm

A chance to hear Bob Ogley’s personal account, of the damage and impact locally, caused by the Great Storm in October 1987. Bob was the first local journalist on the scene and his subsequent book went into the bestsellers list.

October Lecture: “Churchill at Chartwell” by Kate Mail and Nicole Day

Last September, Chartwell launched an appeal to raise over £7 Million and reinvigorate the legacy of Sir Winston Churchill at his family home. To date the Chartwell appeal has reached £6 Million and many important items have been acquired. Kate Mail, Learning Officer, will advise how the funding has been springboard for engaging a new generation with Churchill’s legacy. Nicole …

Lecture: “The Queen’s Jewels” by David Thomas

David Thomas was crown jeweller to the English monarchy from 1991 to 2007, capsule when he retired. His job was keeping the monarchs crowns and jewels in order. His talk covers the Queens fabulous personal jewellery collection including the famous Cambridge Emeralds – which were apparently won in a German lottery in the nineteenth century.