SPRING 2016

109sp
HISTORY
Local, Natural and Family History
VICTORIAN ZENITH?
BRITAIN 1848-1857
Monday 9 meetings 10-12 noon
Tutor: Michael Cahill £67.50, £17
Arguably at the zenith of her might and selfconfidence,
the 1850’s proved an uneasy decade
for Britain. Though the Great Exhibition
proclaimed the country’s industrial strength to the
world, the political situation was unstable and the
mishandling of the Crimean War and the Indian
Mutiny undermined British complacency. The
course considers this period when the power and
influence of the press all too evidently swayed
public opinion and government policy.
From 4 January
Ground Floor
110sp OPERA AND NATIONALISM
Monday 9 meetings 1.30-3.30 pm
Tutor: Michael Cahill £67.50, £17
The course searches for expressions of nationalism
in opera. We will examine Verdi’s stirring Nabucco,
excerpts from Wagner and Prokovief’s Tolstoy -
inspired War and Peace. Consideration will also
be given to Smetana’s The Bartered Bride and
Sullivan’s ‘Grand Romantic Opera’, Ivanhoe.
From 4 January
FAMILY HISTORY
All Family History courses are run by members
of the Rugby Family History Group.
111sp WHO WERE YOUR GREAT
GRANDPARENTS? CONTINUED
Monday 8 meetings 1.30-3.30 pm
Tutor: RFHG £60, £15
The course is aimed at the student who has
completed the earlier course or is looking to
further their Family History knowledge by
exploring records of such as Irish Ancestors, the
British Forces, the Law, Railways and Canals,
County Record Offices, Education, Migration and
The National Archives. Early on, students will be
able to influence which topics are included. There
will be time in each session for questions and
answers. For the first time, we invite former
students to influence the course content. If
you would like to suggest topics for inclusion
let timweedon@clara.co.uk know, or ask him
for a list of available modules.
From 11 January LATE START
212au HENRY II 1154-1189:
FOUNDER OF A NEW DYNASTY
Tuesday 9 meetings 10-12 noon
Tutor: Michael Cahill £67.50, £17
Henry II, the first Plantagenet Monarch, and
inspiration for the film The Lion in Winter. ruled
an Empire which stretched form the Scottish
border to the Pyrenees. A sizeable portion of this
had been brought to him by his wife, Eleanor of
Acquitaine. His reign is famous for his struggles
with Thomas A Becket, his dysfunctional family
and the beginnings of England’s involvement
with Ireland. We look at the reign of a
remarkable King.
From 5 January
Ground Floor
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