Henley DFAS

Forthcoming lectures

	Thursday 19th February 2026 at 10.45am repeated 2.15pm at The Henley Rugby Club. Live transmission morning only. For more information on all lectures please contact Sarah Barry on SarahBarry63@yahoo.co.uk or 07879 611782. Lecturer: Val Woodgate Picasso and his Women Picasso told his biographer, John Richardson, that his work was like a diary – “To understand it, you h
	Thursday 19th March 2026 at 10.45am repeated 2.15pm at The Henley Rugby Club. Live transmission morning only. For more information on all lectures please contact Sarah Barry on SarahBarry63@yahoo.co.uk or 07879 611782. Lecturer: Lois Oliver Eduard Manet and Music Music was a constant theme in Edouard Manet’s life and art.
	MORNING: 16th April 2026. This lecture follows the Annual General Meeting which commences at 10.30am, at The Henley Rugby Club. Live transmission morning only. For more information on all lectures please contact Sarah Barry on SarahBarry63@yahoo.co.uk or 07879 611782. Lecturer: Nicola Moorby As If By Magic: The Secrets of Turner's Watercolour Techniques J.M.W.
	AFTERNOON Thursday 16th April 2026 at 1.45pm at The Henley Rugby Club. (Live transmission morning only). For more information on all lectures please contact Sarah Barry on SarahBarry63@yahoo.co.uk or 07879 611782. Lecturer: Nicola Moorby Turner versus Constable: The Great British Paint Off This is the story of the alleged epic rivalry between the two giants of British art, J.M.W.
	Thursday 21st May 2026 10.45am repeated 2.15pm at The Henley Rugby Club. Live transmission morning only. For more information on all lectures please contact Sarah Barry on SarahBarry63@yahoo.co.uk or 07879 611782. Lecturer: Dr Sam Moorhead The Port of Ostia - Rome's Best Kept Secret? About 18 miles west of Rome, at the mouth of the River Tiber, stand the impressive ruins of Ostia, Rome’s most important port. With wonderfully preserved streets, massive granaries and warehouses, tenement blocks (the best anywhere in the Roman Empire), grand town houses, bath-houses and taverns it was a city bustling with activity, attracting people from all over the Empire. (Please click on the blue print above to continue reading)
	Thursday 18th June 2026 10.45am repeated 2.15pm at The Henley Rugby Club. Live transmission morning only. For more information on all lectures please contact Sarah Barry on SarahBarry63@yahoo.co.uk or 07879 611782. Lecturer: Simon Whitehouse Wilde About Oscar: Famous for being famojs and Infamous This lecture examines the extraordinary life and dramatic times of Oscar Wilde from his Irish roots to his days as a student at Oxford and his meteoric rise to the heights of celebrity. (Please click on the blue print above to continue reading)
	Thursday 17th September 2026. 10.45am repeated 2.15pm at The Henley Rugby Club. Live transmission morning only. For more information on all lectures please contact Sarah Barry on SarahBarry63@yahoo.co.uk or 07879 611782. Lecturer: Stella Lyons Charles Rennie Mackintosh: More than just a Tea Room! Do you know that when Charles Rennie Mackintosh died, his estate was valued at just £88.00. (Please click on the blue print above to continue reading)
	Thursday 15th October 2026 10.45am repeated 2.15pm at The Henley Rugby Club. Live transmission morning only. For more information on all lectures please contact Sarah Barry on SarahBarry63@yahoo.co.uk or 07879 611782. Lecturer: Sandy Burnett Lecture on Handel's Messiah Handel’s Messiah plays a central part in every Christmas celebration. The work has been a runaway success ever since its packed-out premiere in Dublin in 1742. Sandy examines Handel’s revolutionary impact on Georgian music making, reflects on his brilliant librettist Charles Jennens, muses on performances over the years and celebrates Messiah’s many unforgettable moments, not least the Hallelujah Chorus – just how did it become so famous? (Please click on the blue print to continue reading)
	Thursday 19th November 2026 10.45am repeated 2.15pm at The Henley Rugby Club. Live transmission morning only. For more information on all lectures please contact Sarah Barry on SarahBarry63@yahoo.co.uk or 07879 611782. Lecturer: Vick Bailey Ancient Egypt at the British Museum From pyramids to hidden tombs and pharaohs to mummies, uncover the stories behind the statues; and the ways in which the Ancient Egyptians used art and hieroglyphs to ensure their survival into the Afterlife. Highlights include stories of how pharaohs gained power; myths and legends of the gods and goddesses; and how cat scans have revealed health problems of the Egyptians and disasters in mummification! (Please click on the blue print above to continue reading)
	Thursday 10th December 2026 10.45am repeated 2.15pm at The Henley Rugby Club. Live transmission morning only. For more information on all lectures please contact Sarah Barry on SarahBarry63@yahoo.co.uk or 07879 611782. Lecturer: Dr Geri Parlby Snakes, Saints and Pawnbrokers: The Truth about Christmas Why do we bring a tree into our homes at Christmas?