A Date with History

Join us for beer and ballads at a local tavern as we recreate the convivial atmosphere of the radical meetings of the early 19th centry.

Learn about James Gillray, savage satirist, cruel cartoonist and biting political commentator, who wielded a power with his pen that few could match in Georgian Britain.

On the 80th anniversary of nylons, discover how Britain’s insatiable desire for hosiery led to a thriving black market in the wake of the Second World War.

Discover how Catholics in the 16th and 17th centuries understood and policed the world around them with historian Neil Tarrant.

Ever wondered what life was like for a Second World War soldier? Come along and meet members of the East Yorkshire Regiment Living History Group and find out.

What do Henry VIII’s relationships with the men who surrounded him tell us about his beliefs, behaviour and character? Join historian Tracy Borman to find out.

Find out how archaeologist Cat Jarman used cutting-edge science to reveal new evidence of the Viking presence in England.

Go behind the scenes of the BBC period drama Poldark with its creator Debbie Horsfield and the production’s historical adviser Hannah Greig.

Journalist and historian Tim Bouverie presents a gripping history of the British appeasement of the Third Reich in the lead up to the Second World War.

Learn how archaeological investigations are helping to uncover the Cold War history of the Teufelsberg, a former Allied listening station in Berlin.

Learn how archaeological investigations are helping to uncover the Cold War history of the Teufelsberg, a former Allied listening station in Berlin.

Join retired major Graeme Green for a fascinating insight into the role of tanks in the Second World War.

Find out about the Petyt Library, one of the cultural wonders of early modern Yorkshire, now housed at the University of York.

Join archaeologist Steve Ashby for some intriguing new insights into one of the most fascinating of cultures – the Vikings.

Hear the true story of the toughest bicycle race ever staged - the Circuit des Champs de Bataille - the Tour of the Battlefields - in 1919.

Join us for a Franco-British perspective on the history of feminism: how has feminism developed on both sides of the Channel?

Learn about some of the most remarkable, complex, flawed and brilliant monarchs ever to have sat on the English throne.

Learn about the important role millstones have played in many communities throughout history.

Learn about the birth of the notion of ‘haute couture’, the internationalisation of the fashion industry and the blurring of borders between men and women’s fashion.

From the idea of ‘gastronomie’ to Empires and colonisation, we reveal the integral part cooking and food have played in the cultural history of both France and Britain.

Archaeologist Barry Crump reveals the world of wonder to be found in unwanted and mundane objects, and what they can tell us about the past.

We explore how feminist history, gender studies and studies of sexuality have worked to deconstruct gender stereotypes and give a voice to those who have been marginalised or obscured.

Historian Anna Beer presents Sir Walter Ralegh's stranger-than-fiction life in all its richness.

Learn about the important role millstones have played in many communities throughout history.

Discover the fascinating stories behind some of the thousands of sites across Britain requisitioned or built during the Second World War to support the war effort.

Military historians James Holland and Robert Lyman show and discuss extracts from the film Imphal and Kohima: Britain’s Greatest Battle.