​Royal Museums Greenwich is pleased to announce the reopening of the Queen’s House Gallery at the National Maritime Museum on 10 August 2020. The announcement follows the news that Cutty Sark reopened on 20 July, and the north side of the Royal Observatory Greenwich will reopen on 3 August 2020. The Peter Harrison Planetarium will reopen at a later date. 

In addition to some of the treasures of the Queen’s House, including artworks by Reynolds and Canaletto visitors will have the unique opportunity to see the three surviving Armada portraits side-by-side. Faces of a Queen: The Armada Portraits of Elizabeth I will run until 31 August 2020. This is the first time the three surviving portraits have been displayed together in their 430-year history. 

Afterwards, two Armada portraits will remain on display, accompanied by a new intervention, Call and Response by sound artist Peter Adjaye, encouraging new perceptions of the hidden histories implicit in the portrait and its contemporary legacies. 

Additionally, Woburn Treasures has been extended until Easter 2021. This exhibition is a major collaboration, which will see significant works from the private art collection of The Duke and Duchess of Bedford on show in the Queen’s House. The collaboration marks the first time significant collection pieces have been on public display in a national museum since the 1950s.  
 
Considered to be one of the most important art collections still in private hands, the Woburn Abbey loans comprise of over 20 works by distinguished artists such as Van Dyck, Reynolds, Gainsborough, Poussin and Canaletto. The artworks hang alongside significant works from the renowned national collection of Royal Museums Greenwich.  

The visitor experience team have been working hard to ensure the Queen’s House is safe to welcome back visitors. Hand sanitisers will be available throughout the site and staff and signage will be located around the site to ensure guests are observing social distancing. Visitors are being encouraged to wear face masks while on site. 

Although the Queen’s House remains free to enter, tickets must be purchased in advance to ensure social distancing can be maintained. Pre-booked time slots ensure that visits can be adequately spread throughout the day and sites do not exceed capacity. Tickets will go on sale from 3 August 2020. 

Also on the 10 August, the Insight Investment Astronomy Photographer of the Year 2019 exhibition at the National Maritime Museum will reopen. This exhibition showcases the spectacular imagery from the 2019 competition from across our Solar System, galaxy and the wider universe, including ‘Into the Shadow’, the overall winner by Hungarian photographer László Francsics which depicts the 35 phases of the total lunar eclipse that occurred on 21 January. Advance booking is essential. Tickets go on sale on 3 August 2020. 

The rest of the National Maritime Museum will reopen later in the summer. Royal Museums Greenwich will continue to monitor the situation closely and base its approach on advice received from the Government and Public Health England. 

The Queen’s House | https://www.rmg.co.uk/queens-house  ​

Coastal Stories is a new podcast from bestselling author and award-winning presenter Charlie Connelly. 

Every episode brings a true tale drawn from the seas and shores around Britain and Ireland - the heroic, disastrous, startling, hilarious, mysterious, tragic, romantic or just plain weird - told to the relaxing accompaniment of lapping waves.

With each podcast clocking in at no more than fifteen minutes Coastal Stories is a perfect quick escape to the sea for a good yarn, no matter how far from the shore you might be.  

Early tales in the series include an early 19th century encounter with a sea serpent off Orkney, the Eastbourne Bathers' Revolt of 1929 and the man who happily spent eleven consecutive Christmases on a lighthouse two miles off Fleetwood. 

“I’ve collected so many extraordinary stories from around our coasts on my travels, many of which are practically unknown outside their locality,” says Connelly, whose book Attention All Shipping: A Journey Round The Shipping Forecast is one of the biggest selling travel titles of the 21st century. "There seems to be a real appetite for good stories out there, and the response from the growing Coastal Stories audience has been really encouraging."

Delivered with a mix of gentle intimacy and wry humour, not to mention each tale being told over the sound of the waves outside Connelly's home, Coastal Stories will appeal to sea dogs and landlubbers alike.
 
Coastal Stories can be downloaded via Apple, Spotify and most other podcast platforms and has a Facebook page at 'Coastal Stories Podcast'. Charlie Connelly is @charlieconnelly on Twitter.

https://audioboom.com/channels/5013138
https://www.facebook.com/CoastalStoriesPod/

From Monday 22nd to Sunday 28th June, the world’s largest festival entirely devoted to history returns to Broad Chalke, near Salisbury, for its 10th year with an exciting new line-up of activities.  Spread over 60 acres of stunning Wiltshire countryside, the Daily Mail Chalke Valley History Festival is a celebration of the past like no other and is a unique array of interactive living history, activities for all the family, historic aircraft displays as well as talks and discussions with top-class speakers and household names.  The Festival aims to make history accessible to all and to encourage both young and old alike to leave feeling enthralled, excited and enthused about our past.

With over 200 talks and activities already planned, the wide-ranging programme promises to suit all tastes.  Speakers already confirmed include: Holocaust survivor Inge Auerbacher; journalist and television presenter Alan Titchmarsh; former Archbishop of Canterbury Rowan Williams; globally best-selling novelist Tracy Chevalier; TV historians Dan Snow and David Starkey; international lawyer and best-selling writer Philippe Sands; comedian Al Murray; former lady-in-waiting to Princess Margaret Anne Glenconner; celebrated gardener, renowned conductor Jane Glover; BBC Newsnight’s Diplomatic Editor and historian Mark Urban; international best-selling author Jung Chang; comedian and impressionist Rory Bremner; writer, commentator and broadcaster Agnès Poirier; and the greatest living playwright, Tom Stoppard.

2020 of course marks the 75th Anniversary of VE Day as well as the 80th of Dunkirk and the Battle of Britain, and we will be holding special 1940 and 1945 days, including talks, discussions and demonstrations. It’s also an important year for the Festival itself as it celebrates its 10th anniversary.  To get everybody into the party spirit this year, there will be some exciting new changes to the Festival line-up, including a vaudeville theme, live music in the bar every night, and a beautiful new Spiegeltent.  On the Saturday night, fireworks will light up the skies over the Chalke Valley as visitors take to the dance floor and enjoy a full programme of entertainment at the Victory Party, dressed up in their glad rags and Forties finery.

The festival will look very different this year, with living history encampments right in the centre of the Festival site.  Amongst the new additions for 2020 will be four historic dwellings: Iron Age, Medieval, Tudor and a late 17th Century coaching inn.  Each one will be lived in throughout the week and will include a stockaded area for animals and all the features of daily life in those periods.

Also, if you want a preview of what else is new for this year, the list includes an SOE Training Camp, a historic brewery, an all-female crewed Russian T-34 tank, a major WWII field workshop, Soldier School, and a completely new trench experience.  Plus, you can even get your lunch Tudor-style at one of the historic fast food stalls.

For many, one of the highlights of the Festival is the series of spectacular historic aircraft displays that take place at intervals over the weekend.  So, air enthusiasts will be delighted to hear that the aircraft will be back this summer, dazzling visitors as they twist and turn over the Chalke Valley site.

The rich and varied Live History Live programme returns, showing the vital role of both women and men in our developing story.  From domestic day-to-day living to warfare and survival, there will be much to learn from the Roman and Celtic era through to the end of the Second World War.  All the living historians taking part in the activities are experts in their fields and each event will show them making or doing something from the past – and often busting many deeply entrenched myths in conversation with some of our best-loved TV historians and authors.

Last year the Festival for Schools welcomed nearly 2,500 pupils from 112 schools.  Bringing together the greatest historians, academics, living historians and TV personalities to inform on curriculum-based subjects, the Festival makes a major contribution to history education and brings history alive in new and exciting ways.  This year’s schools programme will run on Monday 22nd June (for Years 6,7,8 & 9), on Tuesday 23rd June (for Years 6,7,8 & 9) and on Wednesday 24th June (for Years 10 & 12).

The full programme for the main Festival, and further details about the Festival for Schools, will be announced in the coming weeks. Tickets will go on sale on 28th April.  

The Daily Mail Chalke Valley History Festival will take place at Church Bottom,
Broad Chalke, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP5 5DS.  

For more details about the Festival, please visit www.cvhf.org.uk  Follow all the news on Twitter at @CVHISTORYFEST and on Facebook and Instagram.

​

Inside History Live! returns to Chester this March with an evening of Crime, Controversy and Corruption from the 19th Century.

Dr Stephen Carver, the author of "The 19th Century Underworld" (Pen & Sword books), will be our special guest speaker for the evening as he tells us more about the seedy underbelly of the Victorian Period. From the bodysnatching murderous duo of Burke and Hare to the 1888 Whitechapel Murders, Dr Carver will vividly bring the period to life. 

Our Editor, Nick Kevern, will begin the evening with "The trials of Lizzie Borden" which will focus on the double murder of her father and step mother in Fall River in 1892 and Borden's subsequent trials through Jury, media and public opinion.

Dr Carver will also be launching his new book, The Author who outsold Dickens: The Life and Work of W.H Ainsworth, at the event with copies available for purchase at the event. Dr Carver will also be at hand for signings and a chat.

Copies of Inside History: Crime and the Underworld will also be available.

Tickets for this event cost £5 and are now live on our online store. Please note that the venue does have limited space so we have set the tickets available to 60.

For more information and tickets please visit insidehistorymagazine.ecwid.com/

Pre-orders for Inside History Magazine are now on sale via crowdfunder.co.uk. 

​Our aim is raise enough money to print as many copies of the magazine as we can which we will then sell through stockists and our own website. We hope you can join us on this journey by getting your copy of the magazine, donating or even getting your hands on some of our amazing posters. 

The first issue of the magazine focuses on the history of Medicine and Surgery. We are delighted to be working with Dr Lindsey Fitzharris (The Butchering Art), Dr John Woolf (The Wonders) and Louise Wyatt (A History of Nursing) who are providing some excellent articles.

For every order, we are also entering every backer into our prize draw where you can win signed copies of books from our amazing writers. 

Plus, we also have some cool historical posters on offer. 

To find out more, simply head over to our crowdfunder page and if you like what you see please be sure to support us. 

The Chalke Valley History Festival brings history to life in more ways than you might think. People might travel far and wide to see their favourite historians deliver talks and to sign their books but the festival also has many more things up its sleeve to entertain and engage history lovers. 

Having gone around the festival, our Editor has picked his top 5 things to do at the festival. There really is something for all ages and historical interests here at Chalke Valley.

1 The Giant Hawker Typhoon “Tiffy”
​(Free)

High on the hill is the Giant Hawker Typhoon “Tiffy” It has been a collaborative effort with Qinetiq and the MOD Boscombe Down S.T.E.M team working closely with universities, colleges and schools to create the largest model World War II fighter plane ever. 

For those who remember crafting their small Airfix models and dreamed about a larger scale version...then this is for you. 

The Hawker Typhoon created is four times the size of the ones that flew over Normandy on D-Day. Whilst there are over 50 Spitfires still flying today, there is not one Typhoon. For fans of this spectacular plane this is a must see.

2. World War II Trench
​(£11.50 Book in Advance)

Brace yourself as you prepare to experience this immersive experience within the World War II Trench. Re-enacting a scenario from Normandy in 1944 you will be guided through the Trench with pyrotechnics going off around you. This the not for the faint of heart but certainly gives you a vivid flavour of what conditions in which the men who fought faced.

3. The History Tellers
​(Free)

Performing 10 different shows over the course of the festival, The History Tellers will bring history to life for all ages. From sailing the ocean waves with the Mutiny of the Bounty to Secret underwater Espinarge, this is a real treat for the whole family. Think along the lines of Horrible Histories are you are practically there. 

My personal favourite is the story of Maurice Wilson who aimed to reach the summit of Everest in the 1920s. No talent, never climbed before and no clue. Be sure to check them out.

4. The History Maker
​(Free)


The History Maker AKA Adam Schuch-Des Forges vividly brings to life the story of Major C.K King who was also known as “Banger”. Focusing on “Banger” Schuch-Des Forges recounts the stories of the men who fought in the East Yorkshire Regiment on D-Day. Skillfully acted and wonderfully told you will find some of the anecdotes amusing but will also leave with a deep respect for “Banger”. This is a must watch.   

5. The Moot 
(Free)


For all things “Living History” head to the rear of the festival and visit The Moot. With a wealth of historical periods covered from the Romans to the Second World War, re-enactors will show you cookery, warfare and of course, my personal favourite, the history of brewing.

For more information and to get tickets for the Chalke Valley History Festival please visit:
https://cvhf.org.uk/  #AmazingHistory 

Are you a history teacher? 
Do you teach Medicine Through Time? 

If you have answered yes to either of these questions then we have an exclusive offer for you and your pupils. 

Inside History Magazine is a theme based history magazine that takes you closer to the past one theme at a time. Our first issue explores the world of Medicine featuring articles from some of the best medical historians. From Galen to the gristly world of the operating theatres of the Victorians, we have plenty to help your students through their exams and enhance their love of history.  

We are delighted to announce that Dr Lindsey Fitzharris is on board for our first issue. Dr Fitzharris is the best selling author of  "The Butchering Art" and the host of the YouTube channel "Under The Knife". 

Dr John Woolf examines the relationship between the Freak Shows and Medicine and how it has advanced medical knowledge. Louise Wyatt takes a look at medieval medicine by highlighting the work of Hildegard of Bingen and Abbess Euphemia. We also have plenty more including Galen, the history and art of anatomy, plague doctors, Florence Nightingale and much more. 

Here is how our exclusive "history teacher offer" will work: 

For every printed issue sold to the teacher/school we will give your pupils unlimited access to our digital magazine.  It really is as simple as that. 

Our Indiegogo campaign will be selling individual copies of the magazine for £9. This includes P&P and your digital edition. Then simply contact us at Inside History Magazine to confirm the school you work at and we will send you the link for the free digital copies for your pupils. 

Pre-orders will start soon with the magazine coming out in September. To register your interest simply visit the indiegogo link below. 

https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/inside-history-magazine/coming_soon/x/20696708

From Monday 24th to Sunday 30th June, usually quiet fields in Broad Chalke, near Salisbury in Wiltshire, will come alive and be transformed into the world’s largest festival entirely devoted to history. Spread over 60 acres, The Daily Mail Chalke Valley History Festival is a unique combination of talks, discussions and topical debates, alongside a vast living history encampment, where the very best living historians - all experts in their field - bring history to life with their extensive knowledge and passion for the past.

This year there will be more to see and do and a wider range of talks, discussions and other events than ever before. With over 150 talks and debates programmed, delivered by eminent historians, writers, commentators and well-known personalities, the Festival promises to educate, inspire and entertain all those who attend. The line-up of distinguished speakers has been revealed and tickets are now on sale. Those taking part in the Festival for the first time include the best-selling crime novelist Minette Walters who will be discussing the Black Death, the former broadcast war reporter Martin Bell, Britain’s first female black professor of history Olivette Otele, and Ralph Northumberland who will be providing a fascinating account of the Percy family and Alnwick Castle. Plus, the comedian and actor Harry Enfield will be a panellist on the ever-popular comedy panel show, Histrionics, on the Friday night.

Festival favourites and well-known names returning this year include: Neil Oliver, Victoria Hislop, Dan Snow, Kate Williams, Antonia Fraser, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Tracy Borman, Ben Macintyre, David Owen, Ian Hislop, Anita Anand and Niall Ferguson. Delivering the second CVHF Directors’ Lecture, Rania Abouzeid, the internationally acclaimed journalist and Middle East expert, will talk about the catastrophic civil war in Syria. And, international award-winning author and TED Global speaker Elif Shafak, will ask how we remain sane in the age of populism.

Appearances by Ken Tout, a veteran of one of the most famous tank engagements of WWII, and John Jammes, former member of the French resistance and winner of the Croix de Guerre, also promise to be particularly special events.

Festival Director, Jane Pleydell-Bouverie, said: “We are thrilled by the number of displays and activities for all the family on offer at the Festival this summer, the diversity of topics which will be covered, and the range of speakers appearing - from the most distinguished academics and personalities to new, younger historians.”

The 75th anniversary of the D-Day landings will be marked at Chalke Valley this year and, to open the Festival, there will be a special D-Day 75 morning to commemorate all those who fought in the Normandy campaign. For the first time, the Festival will also be recreating a World War II trench. The scene will be set in late June in 1944 and members of the public will be thrown into a fly-on-the-wall scenario that will demonstrate the equipment, conditions and dangers facing British troops on the Normandy frontline. On the Sunday, there will be at least one talk linked to D-Day at every session.

In addition, the Festival is creating a giant scale replica of the Hawker Typhoon aircraft, or the ‘Tiffy’ as it was known. This iconic wartime fighter plane will be dominating the hills surrounding the Chalke Valley this summer. Perched on the crest of the hill, overlooking the main festival site, the plane will be FOUR times the size of the original and will dominate the local landscape. This massive installation will be a similar size to a 60-seater passenger jet and will be instantly recognizable for miles around. Built as a S.T.E.M. project in partnership with QinetiQ at the MOD Boscombe Down, and working alongside universities, colleges and schools across the region, this will be the largest and most accurate model Word War II fighter plane ever built.

Against the backdrop of widespread political uncertainty and cultural change, it has never been more relevant to understand the rich and varied history of the British Isles. With this in mind, a major new five-year project, threading together the different strands of Britain’s history, will also be launched at this year’s Festival. Entitled ‘Britain: The Thread of History 1603-2016’, the Festival aims to link together many of the different strands of Britain’s story in a series of thirtyfive talks, downloadable podcasts and chapters, which will combine into a single-volume book, published by Bantam Press in 2023. One copy of the book will be donated to EVERY secondary school in the country.

During the week, The Schools’ Festival enables pupils and teachers to get out beyond the classroom and experience history in a new way. The Festival provides a full programme of curriculum-based subjects, delivered with expertise and a fresh, interactive and immersive approach. Now in its 7th year, with increased numbers of children and schools attending each year, the Festival welcomed nearly 2,500 pupils in 2018. The Schools’ Festival for 2019 will run on Tuesday 25th June and Thursday 27th June for 11-14 year olds, and on Wednesday 26th June for 15- 17 year olds. Each day includes a range of immersive living history but also an incredible line-up of leading historians and academics covering and expanding on many of the principle GCSE and Alevel history topics. Speakers include Max Hastings, Kate Williams, Tom Holland, Tim Bouverie, Tracy Borman and Martin Brown.

The festival weekend will see an exciting new programme of living history events, showcasing the age of the Anglo Saxons and Vikings, right the way through to the Second World War. Brand-new themes for 2019 include Exploration, the Historic Home, as well as Wartime Farming and D-Day. Following the success of last year’s Live History Live series of events, there will be a new programme on the Saturday and Sunday. Free to those already attending the Festival, each event will offer the chance to see, touch and feel history: using techniques and materials from the past, expert living historians, including Alex Langlands, Dan Snow, Sam Willis and Dan Jones, will demonstrate a wide range of activities from historic cookery to other features of day-to-day living.

The Festival also boasts a range of interactive tents and activities such as Royal Signals Morse code lessons, as well as archaeology walks, vintage vehicles, shopping emporium, a bar, fine dining and street food. The ‘D-Day Dance’ on the Saturday evening, including music from the brilliant Branflakes and wartime favourite songs from the D-Day Darlings, Britain’s Got Talent finalists and fresh from releasing their first studio album, will be free for anyone already at the Festival. Visitors on the Saturday are encouraged to dress up, and there will be plenty of activities for all the family, including a children’s activity tent, sword school, and special talks for younger attendees. Book signings will be arranged by Festival partner Waterstones.

The Daily Mail Chalke Valley History Festival will take place at Church Bottom, Broad Chalke, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP5 5DS.

For more details about the Festival, please visit www.cvhf.org.uk Follow all the news on Twitter at @CVHISTORYFEST and on Facebook and Instagram.