An MHM selection of some of the best events coming up over the next few months
THE ARMY & NAVY CLUB COMMEMORATES THE BICENTENARY OF THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO
A series of lectures and a Regency ball will be taking place until June 2015.
Carole Divall, an author, researcher, and historian, will be discussing the inner workings of the 30th Regiment of Foot. Dr Michael Rowe will unravel the individual ‘players at the table’ at The Congress of Vienna and Dr Russ Foster will present a talk based on his latest publication, Wellington and Waterloo: monumental oversights 1815-2015.
Musician and research fellow at Kings College London, Oskar Cox-Jensen, will be exploring the Waterloo experience through the medium of music. The last lecture will see Professor Sir Hew Strachan giving a talk on the strategy and tactics used by Wellington and Blücher.
A Regency Ball will be held to commemorate the ball held by the Duchess of Richmond in 1815, and will feature the Green Ginger Band and the Duke of Wellington’s Dancers.
WEB: www.ArmyNavyClub.co.uk
DATES: Until 17 June 2015
Carole Divall – 9 April – 12.30pm
Michael Rowe – 6 May – 6pm
Dr Russ Foster – 21 May – 6pm
Oskar Cox-Jensen – 3 June – 6pm
Dance Workshop, Afternoon Tea/ Regency Ball – 13 June – 1pm/7pm
Prof. Sir Hew Strachan – 17 June – 6pm
EMAIL: [email protected]
WHERE: Army & Navy Club, 36 Pall Mall, London SW1Y 5JN
PHONE: 020 7930 9721
HOW MUCH: Lectures – £10 per person
Waterloo Regency Ball – £70 per person
Waterloo Regency Ball + Dance Workshop + Afternoon Tea – £90 per person
Contact Emily Moss – 020 7827 8079 / [email protected]
BONAPARTE AND THE BRITISH: PRINTS AND PROPAGANDA IN THE AGE OF NAPOLEON
‘Bonaparte and the British: prints and propaganda in the age of Napoleon’ is a free exhibition celebrating the 200th anniversary of Waterloo, the battle which marked the final undoing of the brilliant French general and emperor Napoleon Bonaparte (1769- 1821). The exhibition will focus on the printed propaganda that either reviled or glorified Napoleon on both sides of the English Channel. It explores how his formidable career coincided with the peak of political satire as an art form.
Founded in 1753, the British Museum’s remarkable collection spans over two million years of human history. World-famous objects such as the Rosetta Stone, Parthenon sculptures, and Egyptian mummies are visited by up to six million visitors per year. In addition to the vast permanent collection, the museum’s special exhibitions, displays, and events are all designed to advance understanding of the collection and cultures they represent.
WEB: www.britishmuseum.org
DATES: Until 16 August 2015, 10am–5:30pm, open late on Fridays until 8:30pm
EMAIL: [email protected]
WHERE: The British Museum, Great Russell Street, London, WC1B 3DG
PHONE: 020 7323 8299
HOW MUCH: Free
THE HOUSEHOLD DIVISION BEATING RETREAT
Set on the historic Horse Guards Parade, against the magnificent backdrop of St James’s Park, The Household Division Beating Retreat this year will mark the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo. The Musikkorps der Bundeswehr (The Concert Band of the German Army) and the Royal Choral Society will join our world class military bands for a special concert. Napoleonic re-enactors, cavalry, cannon, lights, fireworks, and a dramatic programme of music will guarantee a night to delight and remember. Also featuring: The King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery, The Band of the Honourable Artillery Company, the Pipes and Drums of the Scots Guards, The Band of the Royal Yeomanry, and more. This event promises the best of British music and ceremonial pageantry.
Beating Retreat this year is on 10-11 June 2015. Pre-show begins at 8pm. Tickets from £15. For information on this and other events, please go to www.householddivision.org.uk.
WEB: www.householddivision.org.uk
DATES: 10 June and 11 June – 8pm
EMAIL: [email protected]
WHERE: Horse Guards Parade, London
HOW MUCH: Tickets from £15
THE YEAR OF THE ANNIVERSARIES
This is a residential weekend of lectures held in Lincoln’s County Assembly Rooms and run in conjunction with History Today magazine, whose editor, Paul Lay, chairs the talks. Six outstanding scholars give between them 12 talks on this year’s anniversary topics (Magna Carta, Parliament, Agincourt, Waterloo, Potsdam).
The lecturers are Dr Juliet Barker, Professor Jeremy Black, Keith Lowe, Dr Marc Morris, Professor Nigel Saul, and Professor Gary Sheffield. There are discussion sessions and opportunities for informal interchange during refreshment breaks and lunches.
Accommodation is offered in a range of four hotels to cater for different budgets. Also included is a private drinks reception in the Chapter House of Lincoln Cathedral. Book now at martinrandall.com.
WEB: www.martinrandall.com
DATES: 6–8 November 2015
EMAIL: [email protected]
WHERE: Lincoln
PHONE: +44 (0)20 8742 3355
ROYAL ARMOURIES – WATERLOO 1815 THE ART OF BATTLE EXHIBITION
2015 marks the 200th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, one of the most significant battles in British and European history. Royal Armouries Leeds will be marking the anniversary with a special exhibition bringing together works of art and arms and armour. Highlights of the exhibition will be the rarely exhibited monumental ‘cartoon’ by Daniel Maclise, on loan from the Royal Academy of Arts, and the magnificent painting ‘Scotland Forever!’ by Lady Elizabeth Butler from Leeds City Art Gallery. These stunning works of art will be displayed for the first time alongside unique objects, on loan and from our own collections, to tell the story of the events of 18 June 1815.
As part of our commemorations we will also be hosting a Study Day on Saturday 13 June 2015 to explore the significance of the battle both today and at the time, and examine the arms and armour used at the battle.
WEB: www.royalarmouries.org/home
DATES: Exhibition – Friday 22 May – Sunday 23 August, Study Day – Saturday 13 June
EMAIL: [email protected] to book onto Study Day
WHERE: Royal Armouries Museum, Armouries Drive, Leeds LS10 1LT
PHONE: 0113 220 1888 to book onto Study Day
HOW MUCH: Exhibition – Free Admission
Study Day – £30, or £25 for concessions
INTERDISCIPLINARY INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON THE LEGACY OF WWI
The Great War changed our world forever. However, is its legacy waning and gradually becoming a thing of the past? Or is it still topical today?
This two-day conference is not a commemoration, but forward-looking. The five different key themes addressed are:
• Rules of War and Peace: International Law and International Relations.
• The Quest for Meaning: Ethics, Religion and the Great War.
• The War Lived and Remembered: Civil Society at war.
• Healing the Wounds of War: Medicine and Mental Health in Warfare.
• The Changing Face of War: Fighting the First Industrialised War.
500-800 academics embracing a wide array of professionals – historians, scientists, politicians, ethicists, sociologists, medics, psychologists, and artists – will discuss the legacy of the Great War. The synergy of shared insights and knowledge will lead to innovative questions and challenges within the five different fields of study. You are cordially invited to share your perspectives!
WEB: www.legacyww1.org
DATES: 24 – 25 June 2015 plus site visits on 26 June
EMAIL: [email protected]
WHERE: World Forum, The Hague, The Netherlands
PHONE: +31 6 234 12 464
HOW MUCH: Registration through the conference website at www.legacyww1.org Normal rate is € 550, but exclusively for readers of Military History Monthly we offer a discounted rate of € 450 per person
WIDENING OF THE WAR: PROBLEMS WITHOUT ANSWERS 2015 WWI CONFERENCE
2014 may have marked 100 years since the First World War, but commemorations continue into the New Year around the country and all over the world. At Weetwood Hall in Leeds this August, the focus is again on this most significant milestone in world history, offering new perspectives on a large number of fascinating WWI issues.
What is on the agenda for 2015? If you are considering attending this year’s conference, you can expect a packed schedule of presentations from 18 renowned speakers. Big names include: Dr John Bourne from the University of Wolverhampton presenting on ‘The Widening War: Britain and the Ottoman Empire’, Professor Gary Sheffield, also from the University of Wolverhampton, presenting on the topic of ‘The War within the war: Politicians and Generals’, and Sir Ian Kershaw from the University of Sheffield speaking about ‘The lasting impact of the Great War on Adolf Hitler’.
WEB: www.weetwood.co.uk/ww1conference
DATES: Monday 2 August-Friday 7 August 2015
EMAIL: [email protected]
WHERE: Weetwood Hall, Otley Road, Leeds, LS16 5PS, UK
PHONE: 0113 230 6000
HOW MUCH: Daily prices start from £115
BATTLE PROMS
This is the year to celebrate with the Battle Proms! The UK’s most popular picnic concert series celebrates a number of important historical milestones in 2015.
As the Battle Proms takes much of its inspiration from the Napoleonic wars, which came to a conclusion 200 years ago at the Battle of Waterloo, there will be a special battle re-enactment by the Napoleonic Association at Blenheim Palace. Also scheduled is the Battle of Britain Evening Gun Salute, honouring this pivotal air campaign and end of the war itself, as gunners herald the arrival of the Grace Spitfire with a volley of shots from a vintage 13-pdr field gun.
Widely regarded as the most exciting summer proms concert in the country, this is an event that fans return to year after year to enjoy a memorable night out with friends or for a significant celebration.
The Battle Proms is proud to support Combat Stress: the Veterans’ Mental Health Charity.
Tickets can be purchased securely online at www.battleproms.com
WEB: www.battleproms.com
EMAIL: [email protected]
WHERE: See DATES
PHONE: 01432 355 416 / 0790 449 4099
DATES: Burghley House, Lincolnshire – Saturday 4 July; Blenheim Palace, Oxfordshire – Saturday 11 July; Hatfield House, Hertfordshire – Saturday 18 July; Highclere Castle, Berkshire – Saturday 1 August; Ragley Hall, Warwickshire – Saturday 15 August
HOW MUCH: Adults: £33 if booked before 30 April 2015, £36 if booked from 1 May 2015 until the day before the concert, £40 on the day of concert (subject to availability). Children aged 5 to 15: £17 (children aged 4 and under go for free). Groups: Advance group bookings of 10 or more qualify for a £2 reduction per ticket
To see this article as it appeared in issue 56 of Military History Monthly, click here.
