TICKETS WILL GO ON SALE AT THE OCTOBER 2026 MEETING

10.30 am-3.00 pm

Theydon Bois Village Hall

Tickets will include coffee, wine and juice

Please bring a packed lunch

1. The Art of Art Deco

Art Deco is the most glamorous and popular style of the 1920s and 1930s.  We will review the development of the style and look at specific examples of objets d'arts, including silver, jewellery, furniture, ceramics, clocks and architecture.

Designers, craftsmen and artists that we will contemplate will include Lalique, Tamara de Lempicka, Georgia O'Keeffe, Romain de Tirtoff (Erté) and Clarice Cliff.  In addition to Art Deco buildings in the UK, we will also touch on buildings in New York, Miami, Mumbai and Napier.

Members attending the Special Interest Day will also be able to handle original Art Deco artefacts on the day. 

2. Britain's Art Deco Architecture

From hotels, restaurants and tube stations to apartment blocks, offices, picture houses and lidos, the British public fell in love with Art Deco architecture of the 1920s and 1930s. 

This lecture considers a selection of iconic Art Deco buildings such as Claridges, Embassy Court in Brighton, Eltham Palace, Glasgow's restaurant Rogano, the Midland Hotel in Morecambe and the former Daily Express building in Fleet Street.  We will explore the development of this architectural style wihin the context of its social and economic environment.

3. From Claridge's hotel to the London Undergound; The Life and Work of Textile Designer Marion Dorn

This lecture will consider the artistic output of one of the leading textile designers of the 20th Century, Marion Dorn.

Dorn was first brought to the public's attention in 1925 and christened the 'architect of floors'.  This lecture will reveal Dorn's various commissions from the 1920s-1960s, including designs for the Savoy Hotel Group in London, Eltham Palace, the London Underground and the White House.  In addition to her designs of wall hangings, carpets and rugs, Dorn also produced wallpaper and graphics.

We will explore her extraordinary career as a designer forever enshrined in the history books of British 20th century Art Deco.

Image: Claridge's, Chris Sampson, CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

10.30 am-3.00 pm

Theydon Bois Village Hall

Tickets will include coffee, wine and juice

Please bring a packed lunch

1. The Women who Conquered Comedy

Bring on the girls!  We explore the remarkable careers of some seriously funny women who carved a comedic path through a man's world and gave us some of the very best of British comedy.

2. A Bit of a Carry On

A lecture you won't hear anywhere else! The amusing yet also poignant lives of Britain's leading television impressionist Janet Brown and Carry On actor Peter Butterworth, revealed by their son.

3. The Golden Age of British Comedy 1970-1980

Was there a formula for the greatest television comedy that we loved?  A wonderful, affectionate trip back in time to find out why we laughed and who we laughed at in this nostalgic period in our nation's theatrical heritage.