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Thursday, 15 October 2026
From Manderley to Brideshead – the secret lives of fictional houses
Annalie Talent

Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again… Manderley, Wuthering Heights, Brideshead – just a few of the fictional houses that feature in some of our favourite novels. But these homes are more than just bricks and mortar - they are living presences in the stories they inhabit – forbidding or welcoming, hiding secrets, haunting dreams. Some houses are so important, their authors give them starring roles and name their books after them.


Thursday, 19 November 2026
Winter Wonderlands in paintings
Sarah Ciacci

Snow transforms places, making them strange and magical, so it is no surprise that snowy scenes have fascinated artists throughout the ages. We will look at how artists have depicted winter to explore the landscape as they saw it and see how artists responded to them over the centuries. 


Thursday, 17 December 2026
Cartoons for Christmas
Barry Venning

Enjoy some festive fun courtesy of a variety talented cartoonists, including Matt, Raymond Briggs, Reg Smythe (Andy Capp), Norman Rockwell, Giles and others from both Punch and the New Yorker magazine.

Click here for previous lectures

15 October 2026From Manderley to Brideshead – the secret lives of fictional houses
19 November 2026Winter Wonderlands in paintings
17 December 2026Cartoons for Christmas

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Lecture: From Manderley to Brideshead – the secret lives of fictional houses Lecturer: Annalie Talent Thursday 15 October 2026

Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again… Manderley, Wuthering Heights, Brideshead – just a few of the fictional houses that feature in some of our favourite novels. But these homes are more than just bricks and mortar - they are living presences in the stories they inhabit – forbidding or welcoming, hiding secrets, haunting dreams. Some houses are so important, their authors give them starring roles and name their books after them.