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Programme of Friends Lectures and Events 2025

  

We are thrilled to present our new 2025/26 programme of talks

 

Tuesday 2nd September 2025
Richard Moon on Seizing the Skies

7.30pm Venue St Andrew's Church Hall

 

Tuesday 9th September 2025 
Harrison Goldman on Dogs in Art

7.30pm Venue St Andrew's Church Hall

Generously sponsored by Acorn House Veterinary Hospital

 

Tuesday 14th October 2025 
James Russell on Tirzah Garwood

7.30pm Venue to be announced

 

Tuesday 4th November 2025 
Hugh Belsey on Thomas Patch

7.30pm Venue St Andrew's Church Hall

 

Lunchtime Talk
Tuesday 11th October 2025 

Michael Hall on his forthcoming book 'A Queer Inheritance - Alternative Histories

This is a talk organised by the Higgins and Friends are invited

12.30pm Barbican Studio, The Higgins Bedford

Michael Hall will be talking about his new book ‘A Queer Inheritance - Alternative Histories in the National Trust’. National Trust houses and landscapes might seem to embody conventional family values, but for generations some very different stories were hidden away. These belong to owners now considered queer for defying the norms of sexual orientation or gender identity – sometimes blatantly, occasionally as open secrets, but most often very discreetly.

Michael Hall is a former Architectural Editor of Country Life and Editor of Apollo, he was Editor of The Burlington Magazine from 2017-2024

 

Tuesday 2nd December 2025 
Cities of Culture to visit The Art of Venice

7.30pm Venue to be announced

 

Tuesday 16th December 2025 
Natalie Doig, from the award winning podcast 'Weird in the Wade', on The Milton Ernest Witches - Mary and Mother Sutton

7.30pm Venue to be announced

 

Tuesday 20th January 2026
Bernard O'Connor on Jasper Maskelyne, the illusionist who hid Tempsford Airfield

7.30pm Zoom lecture

 

Tuesday 3rd February 2026
Perry Straker on Norman Hartnell

7.30pm Zoom lecture

 

Tuesday 17th February 2026 
Mark Lewis on Graham Sutherland

7.30pm Venue to be announced

 

Tuesday 3rd March 2026 
Professor Paul Coldwell on Woodcuts, his new book

7.30pm Venue to be announced

 

Tuesday 24th March 2026 
Perry Straker on Women in the Civil War

7.30pm Zoom Lecture

 

Tuesday 27th April 2026 
Sarah Flynn on The Neiger Brothers and Egyptian Revival Jewellery

7.30pm Venue to be announced

 

Talks are free with Friends’ membership and members are encouraged to bring guests.  

For guests we currently operate an honesty policy and ask for a donation of £10 cash at the door or £8.00 min via our JustGiving web page.   

 

For further information about all of the lectures visit and special events https://www.friendsofthehiggins.org/events-and-lectures

 


 

Joining the Friends of The Higgins Bedford

 

The Friends organisation plays an important part in the life of the art gallery and museum, and individual members enjoy an excellent range of benefits; joining the Friends will put you at the heart of The Higgins Bedford.

 

As a Friend you will enjoy:

  • Regular talks and lectures
  • Exclusive visits to private museums and houses (extra charges can apply
  • Special access to new exhibition previews
  • Discounts in The Higgins Bedford shop
  • Discount on daytime purchases at The Higgins Pantry
  • Opportunities to socialise with like minded people

 

For membership rates and a link to the joining page click here https://www.friendsofthehiggins.org/join-the-friends

 

Donations via JustGiving:  

https://www.justgiving.com/onecheckout/donation/direct/charity/3086310

 

To find out more about the work of The Friends please visit the Friends of the Higgins website.