The Arts Society Woking Talks
Programme 2026
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All Speakers are carefully chosen based
on their reputation for attractive and
well-presented talks with good pictures. |
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Our talks are held on the second Tuesday
of the month except July and August
(when many members are on vacation). |
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They start promptly at 10.30 am but
doors open 9.45 am for tea and coffee |
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Our venue is Normandy Village Hall. |
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Address: Manor Fruit Farm, Glaziers
Lane, Normandy, Guildford Surrey GU3 2DT |
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Members may bring a visitor, but
the same person may not be a guest more
than twice a year. While we do not
charge a Guest/Visitors fee they are
invited make a donation to the Society
of £10 which includes a free cup of tea
or coffee! Members of other Arts
societies attending make a contribution
of £5. |
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For more information please
click on the title for any talk |
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Tuesday January
13th 2026 |
Speaker: Frank Woodgate |
Talk: David Hockney -
"Blondes have more fun"
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David Hockney has become a
‘national treasure’. Although a
fine draughtsman, he first came
to fame in the early 1960s for
his graffiti-like paintings.
The late 1960s and early ’70s
saw him painting in a number of
different styles, from the
precise naturalism of Mr and Mrs
Clark and Percy to extremely
unnaturalistic works paying
homage to his great hero, Pablo
Picasso.
With all his media and style
changes, Hockney continues to
delight and enchant people from
all walks of life. |
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Tuesday
February 10th 2026 |
Talk: Screening the novel:
Books into films
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How do you turn a huge sprawling
novel like Gone with the Wind
into a film to be seen in one
evening?
Why do some novels make
the transition so much better
than others? Is there any
difference between one
adaptation of Pride and
Prejudice and any of the others?
From Dickens to Austen the
classic novels constantly
reappear as movies but this
lecture moves from All Quiet on
the Western Front in 1930
through the social realism of
the post-war British novel to
The Godfather in 1971.
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Speaker: Colin Shindler |
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Tuesday March
10th 2026 |
Talk: The Creation of the
BBC
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Speaker: Nick Salmond |
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In this lecture, we look back at
the creation of the BBC.
We
investigate the invention and
use of radio at the start of the
20th century and explore how the
medium was first used as a form
of mass communication.
We look
at the early days of the BBC,
and some of the people who were
vital to the success of the new
company.
We explore its
relationship with the Government
and the worries about the power
of this radical new form of
communication. |
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Tuesday April
7th 2026 |
Talk: Seasonality &
Decoration in Japan:
Spring/Summer
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Speaker: Pauline Chaknakjion
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The Japanese are highly sensitive to the changes of the seasons and decorate their homes and themselves according to the time of the year.
From clothes to food to art objects we will see and understand the motifs used for spring and summer, as well as explore the almost obsessive Japanese fascination with cherry blossoms. |
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Tuesday May
12th 2026 |
Talk: Drawn from Life: The
Extraordinary Art and Life of
Augustus John
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When Augustus John died in 1961
he was described in The New York
Times as ‘the grand old man of
British painting and one of the
greatest in British history.’
He was only in his mid twenties
when, in the early 1900s, he was
widely acknowledged as one of
the most talented and promising
young British artists – a Welsh
rival, perhaps, to Gauguin or
Picasso.
This lecture explores John’s
extraordinary life, including
his early achievements, his
position as one of the most
exciting and outrageous young
British artists before the Great
War, his slow decline after it,
and his troubled status as ‘the
last Bohemian’. |
Speaker: David Haycock |
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Tuesday
June
9th 2026 |
Talk:The Brilliance of
British Architecture
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In the field of world class
architecture, British talent has
always been at the forefront,
and we have much to celebrate.
In this talk, Ian tour's around
the UK and overseas showcasing
the brilliance of some of the
designers who have made huge
improvements to the built
environment and enhanced the
lives of those around them.
Famous names like Lutyens,
Gilbert Scott, Foster, Hadid and
Rogers are joined by several
lesser known but equally
creative architects.
See also
Special Interest Day on The
Brilliance of British
Architecture and Design. |
Speaker: Ian Swankle |
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July
2026 |
No Talk (Summer
break)
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August 2026 |
No Talk (Summer
break)
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September
8th 2026 |
Talk: Bombing with Banksy
and Co - The Graffiti and Street
Art of Shoreditch and
Spitalfields
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This lecture gets up close and
personal with the dynamic east
London street art scene. You’ll
see art on the walls, the sides
of buildings and sidewalks.
In this lecture we will look at
work by Banksy, quite possibly
the most famous living street
artist in the world, as well as
street art by Ben Eine whose
piece “Twenty First Century
City” was recently presented by
Prime Minister David Cameron to
Barrack Obama.
We will also see work by
Shepherd Fairey the most
celebrated street artist working
in the US today, known around
the world for his Obey and Hope
campaigns.
You will discover how the huge
growth and popularity of Street
Art is reflected in the
astonishing transformation of
Spitalfields and Shoreditch from
a once seedy and deprived area
into one of the most vibrant,
most fashionable, most happening
neighbourhoods in London. |
Speaker: Pepe Martinez |
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Tuesday
October
13th 2026 |
Talk: Shocking Schiaparelli!
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Elsa Schiaparelli is seen as the
undisputed queen of fashion of
the Roaring Twenties and her
artistic collaborations with
many of the surrealist artists
of the day, such as Dalí,
Cocteau and Giacometti, were
groundbreaking.
Hats like lamb cutlets or high
heeled shoes, pockets like
drawers, buttons like lips and
eyes, gloves with red python
nails and the legendary dresses
including the iconic lobster
dress as worn by Wallis Simpson
for Vogue.
Schiaparelli wanted to shock,
and she did! |
Speaker: Alexandra Eppse>
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Tuesday November
10th 2026
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Talk: Rembrandt: Why Self
Portraits?
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This lecture sets Rembrandt in
the context of The Dutch Golden
Age and the wealth and influence
of Amsterdam.
It shows the range of reasons
why an artist would make a self
portrait and how Rembrandt used
all of them to further his
career and his understanding of
people.
While showing many examples, I
major on three particular
paintings from three significant
points in his life, to show the
development of this remarkable
and profound artist. |
Speaker: Ronnie Ireland |
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Talk: A Very Ceremonial Christmas
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Find out, in this very
light-hearted lecture, about the
various ceremonial events that
take place around Christmas
time.
Carol services, concerts and
even Changing the Guard at
Buckingham Palace and Windsor
all play their part.
How do the Chelsea Pensioners
prepare and celebrate the
festive season?
All will be revealed so, come
along and feel wrapped in a
blanket of Christmas loveliness. |
Graham Jones |
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Prior Year's Talks |
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To see the activities in
previous years, click on the
year;
2025
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2024
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2023
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2022
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2021
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2020
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2019 /
2018 /
2017 /
2016 /
2015 /
2014 /
2013 /
2012 /
2011 /
2010 |
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Disclaimer |
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The Arts Society Woking cannot be held responsible for any personal accident, loss, damage or theft of members' personal property. Members are covered against proven liability of third parties. |
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