This illustrated lecture will challenge everything you thought you knew about Columbus and the discovery of the New World. It covers what the ancient scholars knew of the Atlantic, what Columbus borrowed from the ancients and how such voyages were almost certainly undertaken, as illustrated by the Phoenicians before Columbus expedition. In 2019 Philip Beale...

Former Labour minister, Chris Mullin, launches a new volume of his widely acclaimed diaries. From the demise of New Labour, through Brexit, the rise and fall of Jeremy Corbyn and Boris Johnson to the death of the Queen. No longer in the tent, but not quite out of it, celebrated diarist Chris Mullin will give...

Top island chef, Robert Thompson, the youngest chef to be awarded a Michelin Star in his own right, will share his passion for modern British cuisine. Thompson will be showcasing local produce by making  citrus cured monkfish with sea herbs, herring roe and Mermaid Gin dressing; pheasant tortellini with truffle and parmesan; and lemon curd...

Rory Cellan-Jones knew he was the child of a love affair between two BBC employees. But until his mother died and he found a file labelled “For Rory” he had no idea of the extent of their relationship, and why his unconventional childhood had so tested the bond between him and his mother. What Cellan-Jones...

Soldering is a serious, frequently bloody business. That aspect has been documented endlessly. But behind the blood, thunder and de-humanising aspects of conflict are people – people in uniform and people supporting them. All of them have personal feelings and aspirations and they experience the humdrum assortment of daily occurrences that closely match those of...

There will be no more fear of soggy pastry or failing souffles once you learn the secret of foolproof pastry and perfect souffles from Cathy Gayner. Gayner trained as a calligrapher and gilder but has spent the last 50 years perfecting her cooking techniques by feeding friends and family.

Georgina Moore’s debut novel is set on the Isle of Wight and asks the question whether children can ever be free of the mistakes their parents make. Forbidden, passionate and all-encompassing, Margo and Richard’s love affair was the stuff of legends – but ultimately, doomed. When Richard walked out, Margo locked herself away, leaving her...

Patrick Crowley will tell the unique history of the part-time soldier of Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, from the time of the militia, yeomanry, and volunteer, through to the Territorial Army and today’s Army Reserve, all placed within the wider context of the British Army’s history. For centuries, the country has defended its shores...

From hosting a record-breaking dinner party on Mount Everest and playing golf at the Geographic North Pole, to piloting the world’s first road-legal flying car across the Sahara Desert. Join Neil Laughton on a roller-coaster ride across the globe, to gain the necessary insight, and confidence to add adventure to your life. Be inspired by...