Off To A Flying Start At Chalke Valley History Festival 2017!

Sarah Ewen

30/06/2017

Despite the slightly damp conditions here at the Chalke Valley History Festival site a few days ago, we have now shaken off our raincoats and the weather looks fair for the rest of week. We have been treated to a fantastic series of events and talks already, with so many inspiring debates and study mornings that it’s hard to choose our highlights at this stage. However, if we had to flag up some particular favourites, we’d probably single these ones out.

On Monday, we were honoured to welcome three German World War II veterans – Hugo Broch, Günter Halm and Karl Leuffert – who came to speak to a select audience of 100 people and shared their incredible wartime experiences. Hugo Broch in particular has been hitting the news headlines since he arrived in the UK because on Tuesday he also went to Biggin Hill to fly in a Spitfire for the first time. Dan Snow, who is here at the Festival all week with his HistoryHit team, was there to interview him.

https://youtu.be/eHnoG0e9ncc

On Tuesday evening one of our most popular and respected political journalists Andrew Marr came to give a talk on the history of modern Britain, and took the opportunity to have a go at the use of social media nowadays and to share his view that Brexit had left Britain ‘badly divided’.

Yesterday we had around 1,000 Year 10 and 12 students attending our Schools Festival. The site was teaming with enthusiastic 13 and 15 year olds, eager to learn some ‘hands on’ history from the living historians who are here to share their knowledge all week. They had the rare opportunity to hear from the likes of Suzannah Lipscomb who was talking about Witchcraft and the Witch-Trials, and from Dr Gareth Davies who spoke about African-American Civil Rights. The First World War Trench experience was as popular as ever, and the students listening to the falconry session were treated to an amazing display as the birds swooped overhead.

After today, we still have 3 more jam-packed days of #AmazingHistory to look forward to, including some iconic warbirds that will be flying over the site at the weekend and some dancing to the Bombshell Belles on Saturday night. We look forward to seeing you then!

In case you missed it..

A Look Forward To Saturday

The re-enactors have pitched their encampments, primed and ready. The weather is looking good. We have an incredible line up of speakers and subjects for the weekend, covering politics, military, music and the arts. The food choices and emporium stalls are abundant. There really is something for everyone. It promises to be a weekend of #AmazingHistory.

CVHF Thursday Round Up

CVHF Wednesday Round Up

Day 3 highlights with James Holland and a look ahead at exciting things to come on Day 4 at the Chalke Valley History Festival 2017! #AmazingHistory

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Paul Beaver talks about our Air Show!

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CVHF Artist in Residence

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Send your questions for Historians’ Question Time

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Interview with Holocaust Survivor Freddie Knoller – CVHF 2014

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Interview with Kate Adie – Chalke Valley History Festival 2014

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Interview with Kate Adie – Chalke Valley History Festival 2014

Exclusive interview with Dan Snow

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Antony Beevor wins 2014 Prizker Lifetime Literature Award

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