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.

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. 

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.

India’s royal palaces are magnificent residences reflecting a blend of architectural styles. See inside stunning examples, including the Laxmi Vilas Palace in Baroda (the largest private residence in the world) and hear about the fascinating lives of their most notable residents.  

Akhenaten was one of the most notorious rulers of Ancient Egypt. In his short reign, he revolutionised the religious system and set up a new capital with his wife Nefertiti at Tell el-Amarna, (where Tutankhamun was born). The art which emerged in his reign was completely unique.

The world’s first underground railway, in London, has a unique architecture, ingenious design and powerful advertising. Discover the development of the Underground, the legacy of Frank Pick and Charles Holden, iconic posters & the award-winning architecture of the modern Tube.

The supermodel didn’t arrive when Twiggy first donned false eyelashes. Lizzie Siddal was a working-class girl discovered working in a hat shop, but her face captivated the Victorian age. The muse of Rossetti, she modelled for Millais’ Ophelia, and was a poet and artist in her own right. A rags-to-riches story to rival any Hollywood script.

Money or currency has a vibrant, multi-faceted history which, as a social tool, gives us far more than the means to buy a loaf of bread. Explore the history and meaning of money from pieces of eight, to bitcoin, to a cashless society.

Puccini’s music is instantly recognisable, even to those who don’t know his name. Hear how his music spread from the opera house to global culture. The technology of record and film has played a part – from Caruso to James Bond and advertising. The sound of Puccini has also changed via high notes, romance, New York & penguins.

Lear was born in 1812, the 20th child of Jeremiah, a stockbroker. His elder sister Ann raised him but aged six he developed epilepsy & suffered with poor health. Earning his living by drawing birds, he gave drawing lessons, Queen Victoria being a pupil. He started writing nonsense rhymes and in 1867 ‘The Owl and the Pussycat’ was published.

The evolution of these objects sought to mimic life long before the word "robot" was coined in 1920. The new clockwork mechanisms of the C15th led to amazing ‘automatons’ - mechanical marvels whose springs and gears evolved into the complex machinery of the modern world.

One company controlled the world's diamond marketplace for over a century. The De Beers Diamond Cartel convinced diamond miners and traders to only buy or sell via their single market, forming a bond so tight it was impossible to move diamonds without them, taking the market by storm with the slogan "A Diamond is Forever".

Discover the secret world of our 2000-mile inland waterway network. From sweeping aqueducts to tiny bollards; from colourful narrowboats to 'Roses and Castles' artwork; from World Heritage Sites to quirky listed buildings. An historian once described our canals as a 'poor man's art gallery'. 

Devant was the first President of The Magic Circle and the first magician to be booked on a Royal Variety Show. Considered to be the greatest British magician, his by-line was ‘All done by kindness’. Ian performs some Devant-inspired tricks from his own repertoire during this talk.