U3A in London (Hampstead) - Wednesday European History Talks

Timetable updated 15/2/2024

We meet on Wednesday mornings at 11:40 in Room 2.21 in the Old Town Hall.

We suggest you bookmark this page which is always up-to-date. Talks are given by Ken Baldry.
There is an average of over 100 slides per talk. Art talks usually also include contemporary music.

Spring Term 2024

Feb 21st

129. The composer Johann Sebastian Bach 1685 - 1750, perhaps the 2nd greatest so far with music & 192 slides.

Feb 28th

130. Denmark, Italy & Portugal with 82 slides.

Mar 6th

131. William Hogarth - British painter with 109 slides.

Mar 13th

132. France & Prussia with 89 slides.

Mar 20th

133. The Enlightenment - from the 17th into the 19th Century with 74 slides.

Mar 27th

134. The Jacobite Rebellion in Britain with 95 slides.

Summer Term 2024

May 1st

135. The Seven Years War part 1 with 114 slides

May 8th

136. The Seven Years War part 2 with 113 slides

May 15th

137. Witches with 94 slides

May 22nd

138. The composer Joseph Haydn with music & 153 slides

May 29th

139. Pirates with 94 slides

June 5th

140. The British painters Gainsborough and Reynolds with 155 slides

June 12th

141. Energy with 107 slides

June 19th

142. Exploring the Pacific Ocean with 114 slides

June 26th

143. After the 7 Years War with music & 106 slides

July 3rd

144. The search for the North-West Passage with 118 slides

July 10th

145. The composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart with music & 206 slides

July 17th

146. France to 1783 with 110 slides

Autumn Term 2024

Sep 18th 

147. American gains its Independence from Britain with 133 slides.

Sep 25th

148. Other countries to 1789 with 117 slides.

Oct 2nd 

149. Slavery with 110 slides

Oct 9th

150; Angelika Kauffman and Elisabeth Vigée le Brun with 165 slides & music.

Oct 16th

151; The French Revolution begins with 118 slides.

Oct 23rd

152; Foreign reaction to the French Revolution with 121 slides.

Oct 30th

153; The French Revolution Reign of Terror with 126 slides.

Nov 6th

154; Empress Catherine the Great of Russia with 109 slides.

Nov 13th

155; France after the coup of 9 Thermidor with 117 slides.

Nov 20th

156; The French Directory government with 103 slides.

Nov 27th

157; The German artist Caspar David Friedrich & start of Romanticism with 158 slides.

Dec 4th

158; The parallel rising talents of Napoleon and Nelson with 121 slides.

Dec 11th

158a. Christmas Special with music & 196 slides

Spring Term 2025

Jan 8th

159; Beethoven - the greatest genius of music composition (so far) with 164 slides & music.

Jan 15th

160. The War of the Second coalition against France part Two with 127 slides & music.

Jan 22nd

161. John Constable, British Artist with 135 slides

Jan 29th

162. Joseph Mallord William Turner. A British Artist & Impressionist before his time with 145 slides.

Feb 5th

163. The British King George III & after the Peace of Amiens with France 1802 with 128 slides & music.

Feb 12th

164. Napoleon's years of success with 120 slides.

Feb 19th

165. The Peninsular War part One (France invades Spain & tries to invade Portugal) with music & 125 slides.

Feb 26th

166. The Peninsular War part Two with music & 128 slides.

Mar 5th

167. Napoleon makes a big mistake & invades Russia with 118 slides.

Mar 12th

168. The First Fall of Napoleon with 120 slides.

Mar 19th

169. The Congress of Vienna tries to clear up after Napoleon with 89 slides.

Mar 26th

170. You need a break: The History of the Waltz with music & 137 slides.

Summer Term 2025

Apr 30th

171. The Congress of Vienna continues clearing up after Napoleon with 106 slides.

May 7th

172. Europe 1815 - 1823 with music & 115 slides.

May 14th

173. The composer Franz Schubert with music & 145 slides.

May 21th

174. The 1820s to 1830 al around Europe with 113 slides.

May 28th

175. Scientific advances around 1800 with 73 slides.

June 4th

176. Years of Revolutions Part One 1830 with 113 slides.

June 11th

177. The composer Hector Berlioz with music & 201 slides.

June 18th

178. Years of Revolutions Part Two, the 1830s with 103 slides.

June 25th

179. Years of Revolutions Part Three, still the 1830s with 113 slides.

July 2nd

180. The composer Robert Schumann with 119 slides.

July 9th

181. All over Europe in the early 1840s with 118 slides.

July 16th

182.French mid-century modern art - The Barbizon school & Courbet with 210 slides.

July 23rd

183. The composer Fryderyk Chopin with music & 112 slides.

Contact: Ken Baldry at 17 Gerrard Road, Islington, London N1 8AY Telephone +44(0)20 7359 6294 or e-mail him This page's URL: http://www.art-science.com.uk/history-talks.html

Talks & page sponsored by Art & Science