\n
https://www.oustudents.com/ents/event/2838/
\nCosts:
\nOpen University \;students\, sta
ff and alumni: £\;5 \;(please enter your Personal Identifier whe
n booking)
\nNon-Open University rate:
\;£\;7.50
Summary
\n \nWe'\;re delighted to be partnering again with \;Curious Histories\, to bring you another London show featuring three eccentric\, biographically-flavou red tales at our new earlier time of 6.15pm.
\n\nOur show will be i
n the downstairs function room and bar of the Tokenhouse on Moorgate\, an
d it will feature three typically idiosyncratic talks.The event will begin at 6.15pm\, but doors will open at 5.45pm
. If you would like to eat beforehand\, the Tokenhouse offers a great&nbs
p\;menu\, so arr
ive early and order food and drinks before we start\; you do not need to
reserve a table. The bar will stay open throughout the show. \;
There'\;s no need to be studying history as the tal ks will be of general interest but if you are studying the following cour ses with the Open University\, you may find them particularly appealing: A113\, A223\, A225\, A327\, and A883 from the history strand of course. W e are delighted to have Professor Rosemary Ashton in our line up whose ta lk has good cross-over with A335 English Lit\, and Dr Louise Ryland-Epton &rsquo\;s has connections with A112.
\n\nOur talks:
\n\nThe Great Stink of 1858
\n\nIn the 185 0s London was a city of two and a half million inhabitants\, more than tw ice as many as fifty years earlier. The sewers could not cope with these numbers\; effluent gushed into the Thames. In June 1858\, a crisis point was reached when temperatures hit 35º\;C. What could be the solution? Professor Rosemary Ashton takes up the story of Joseph Bazalgette\, who had ambitious plans to remove the nuisance from the city. However\, he ha d to fight against widespread and ferocious objections\, not least financ ial ones. How did he overcome them?
\n\nScience\, Folklore\ , and the Unexplained: \;John Aubrey'\;s \;Nat ural History
\n\nJohn Aubrey (1626-1697) is best known as a polymathic antiquarian with a deep interest in the supernatural. Ye t Aubrey was a scientist too\, and often combined his curiosity for folk wisdom and the unexplained with revolutionary scientific insights. Sadly\ , his major work on the subject\, the \;Natural Hist ory\, was not published in his lifetime\, and subsequently only in t runcated form. In it\, Aubrey vigorously applied scientific method not on ly to conventional flora and fauna\, but also to the phenomena of dragons \, ghosts\, witches\, magic rings\, secret tunnels\, murderous clouds\, a nd giants - a fervour that led to an African expedition to hunt for a two -legged dragon\, the Wyvern. Dr Louise Ryland-Epton invites us to discove r more about Aubrey&rsquo\;s extraordinary world ahead of the publication of his \;Natural History \;in June.
\n\ nAdolf von Batocki: Food Dictator
\n\nIn May 19 16\, Adolf von Batocki was appointed as head of the Imperial German War F ood Office in the midst of World War One. A controversial character\, he quickly earned the sobriquet of '\;The Food Dictator'\; as civilian s faced growing food shortages and hunger. Dr Jonathan Slater explores hi s role on the Kaiserreich'\;s beleagured home front at a pivotal point in the conflict.
\n\nOur speakers:
\n\n
\n
\nDr Louise Ryland-Epton \;is an award-winning freelance
historian and contributing editor on Victoria County History. She is an
expert on John Aubrey and is currently editing his \;Natural History \;for publication on his 400th anniversary. Her
most recent book is \;The Kingtons: a history of the ancient parish of Ki
ngton St Michael. \;You can read her f
ascinating blog\, on Aubrey and other early modern curiosities\, \;here. This is her se
cond talk for our programme.
Dr Jonathan Slater \;< /strong>is a postdoc at the London School of Economics\, whose research c oncentrates on ersatz food products in First World War Germany. He is ori ginally from Paw Paw\, Michigan in the USA. This is his second talk for C urious Histories.
\n\nRunning order (all times approximate) :
\n\n5.45pm - Doors
\n\n6.15pm - First talk
\n\n8.45pm - Expected end time
\n\nThere will be two intervals durin g the evening.
\n\n END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR