Next Lecture:

11am Wednesday 16 September 2026

Lecture: National Treasures - Saving London's Museums and Galleries in WWII

Presented by Caroline Shenton

Have you ever wondered what happened to the art collections at the National Gallery, the V&A, and the National Portrait Gallery – even the Crown Jewels – during World War II?   This is the gripping and sometimes hilarious story of how a band of heroic curators and eccentric custodians saved Britain’s national heritage during the Second World War.  As Hitler prepared to invade Poland during the summer of 1939, men and women from across London’s museums, galleries and archives forged extraordinary and ingenious plans to send their collections to safety.  Using stately homes, tube tunnels, slate mines, castles, prisons, quarries and even their own houses, a dedicated bunch of unlikely characters packed up the nation’s greatest treasures and, in a race against time, dispatched them throughout the country on a series of top-secret wartime adventures. 

Dr Caroline Shenton is a writer and historian.  She has a degree in medieval history from St Andrews and a doctorate from Oxford. She is the former Director of the Parliamentary Archives in London. When she’s not writing, she is now Secretary to Council at Girton College, Cambridge.  

Special Interest Day - 28 October 2026

Too Many Cooks - Food, Fashion and Fine Dining in Art

Step back in history on a fascinating Study Day exploring the hidden world of kitchens, cooks, and grand banquets through the centuries.

Sarah Pearson will deliver three richly illustrated talks revealing how food, fashion and architecture have shaped each other — from medieval hearths to Georgian feasts. 

Click Here for more information on prices and booking, or contact Jane Fawcus: 01722 742346  janefawcus@hotmail.com