Upcoming events at the museum or organised by the museum. Unless otherwise stated, all events will be in The Learning Centre, on the top floor of the museum (Level 3 in the lift). All events in the museum will be fully accessible, but we cannot guarantee that those outside will be. For more information and to book, visit Art Tickets or drop in to the museum and pay at the welcome desk. Places are limited, so buy in advance to secure your place.

Talks

All museum talks are £6 per person – you will receive 10% discount in the café on the day of a lunchtime talk. Present your ticket/receipt in the café to receive this offer.

Lunchtime talks, 12 p.m.

13 February: Hitchin as seen through the eyes of its artists

Many artists have painted Hitchin over the ages, and the museum is fortunate to have a large number of Hitchin views in different media, from oils to watercolours, prints to drawings. Some views remain unchanged, others have completely disappeared.

8 March: North Herts Undaunted: the fight for the vote in North Herts

In celebration of International Women’s Day 2024, we will be having a special talk, presented by our resident expert, Ros Allwood. Discover the stories of Hitchin’s pioneering suffragette Elizabeth Impey, Knebworth’s schoolgirl suffragette Margaret Jones, Letchworth’s radical suffragette Jane Short and Knebworth’s aristocratic suffragette Constance Lytton.

12 March: Commute through time

Commuters who use Hitchin Station will be familiar with the colourful photo panels that brighten the underpass between platforms. The photos in the panels are from our museum’s large collection of photographs relating to Hitchin and cover a range of themes. Join us for this talk, which takes seven of the pans and runs through some of the amazing things they show!

9 April: British folklore, fairy stories and other true tales

Pull of a chair and listen to tales of old. How do ghosts become stories? How do traditions begin and why do they stick? We’ll spin a yarn about the goblins in Shillington during the English Civil War and tell you about green children and golden kings.

Evening talks, 7.30 p.m.

28 February: Tudor life in Britain: the good, the bad and the ugly

What did people have on the floor if they put their carpet on the table? Discover the reason why you wouldn’t throw your wee out the window. Have a go at playing with a Tudor toy, and discover how the carefree pastime of childhood could maim you and how entertainment for grown ups was not for the squeamish! We’ll look at clothing, food and furniture for clues about the way they lived their lives.

27 March: The Camden Town Group

This talk will give an introduction to the Camden Town Group of artists in the years before the First World War. the best known were the founder Sickert, Spencer Gore, Harold Gilman, Lucien Pissarro, Duncan Grant, Augustus John, Charles Ginner, Robert Bevan and William Ratcliffe.

24 April: Wilbury, the ‘Willow Fort’

First recorded in 1007, the name Wilbury is ancient, and the settlement there at least two thousand years older than that. Yet the name refers to willows in a landscape where they are unlikely ever to have flourished. A possible answer may lie in looking slightly further afield, where the village of Willian also refers to willows. What, if anything, is the connection?

Workshops and Sessions

Museum Craft Club

Weekly after-school craft club. Every Thursday, from 3 p.m. to 4.20 p.m. Just £1 per child (5 to 12 years old); we ask parents to stay with their children. Snacks and cold drinks are available to buy after 3.30.

Walks – £6 per person

Always remember to check the weather forecast before leaving home and come prepared for whatever nature may throw at you! Raincoats if it’s going to be wet, bottled water if it’s going to be hot…