Hedgerley Historical Society
We have two talks in November.
Saturday 9th November 2024 2pm Hedgerley Memorial Hall
Searching for London’s Lost History Jason Sandy
For over 2,000 years, the River Thames in London has been a repository of lost and discarded objects. At low tide, the exposed riverbed is the longest archaeological site in Britain. With permission from the Port of London Authority, mudlarks search for historic treasures revealed by the outgoing tide.
In this lecture, Jason Sandy, author of MUDLARKS: Treasures from the Thames and co-author of Thames Mudlarking, talks about some of the greatest artefacts discovered in the river. He will also display hundreds of artefacts from his own personal collection which you can handle. You won’t want to miss this special event!
Wednesday 20th November 2024 8pm Hedgerley Memorial Hall
Breakspear The English Pope Adrian Waddingham CBE
Adrian I: the only English pope in the history of the Catholic Church The first biography in over a century Overlooked for centuries, Nicholas Breakspear’s achievements outshone those of his contemporary, the martyr Thomas Becket. Born in poverty and probably illegitimate, Breakspear rose to become the only Englishman to ascend the throne of Saint Peter, ruling over the papal states as Adrian IV. His life is not a tale of liturgy or sermons, and there are more cannons than canons, as Breakspear faced fighting in Scandinavia and the Second Crusade in Spain. He was immediately thrust into conflicts upon his election as pope in 1154.
First, he had to overcome the rebellious republicans of Rome before defending his Church against armed threats from the Norman King William of Sicily, the Byzantine Emperor Comnenus and finally the German King Frederick Barbarossa, intent on restoring the former glories of the Holy Roman Empire. Breakspear saved his Church from German domination, but his legacy is contested.
There was a papal schism on his death and many blame him for allowing Henry II’s subjugation of Ireland in 1171. For the first time in over 100 years, R. A. J. Waddingham returns to the evidence in chronicles and medieval manuscripts to tell the whole story of Breakspear’s remarkable journey through twelfth-century Europe.
Adrian Waddingham is a retired consulting actuary and an Honorary Fellow of Royal Holloway, University of London. He was awarded a CBE in the Birthday Honours of 2012 for services to pensions. In 2019 he completed a Graduate Certificate in Historical Research, with merit, at Birkbeck, University of London.
His first book ‘Breakspear: the English Pope was published by The History Press in August 2022. Copies will be available to purchase on the night.
Zoom Link
If you are unable to join us in person below is the link to join the meeting via Zoom.
Please note You will see the slides and hear (but not see) the speaker. During the presentation your microphone will be muted but will be unmuted at the end offering you the opportunity to ask questions. Alternatively use the chat facility and your question will be read out to the speaker and hall audience.
Topic: HHS Breakspear the English Pope”
Time: Nov 20, 2024 07:30 PM London
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/87922344197?pwd=vPedRX5mZZ11nuaOaCJ3fISaalsJsY.1
