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SPARTA are pleased to announce that the SPARTA Personal Safety Course will start again on 27th January 2026. Stay Safe this winter with SPARTA’s Personal Safety class Stay safe this winter with the help of SPARTA. SPARTA are proud to announce that following the running of the very popular Personal Safety class in early 2025 we are repeating the course in early 2026. The course will run on Tuesdays for a period of 8 weeks starting on 27 January 2026 . It is provided by Stay Safe Global who provide similar training for companies including Google, Infosys, DXC Technology, and Salesforce. Check out their website at https://staysafeglobal.com/ The course will be run by Stay Safe Global’s, Nick Martin, who has taught this course in locations across the world. Why not come and meet him. During the course Nick will cover all aspects of personal safety including situational awareness, practical safety tips, basic self-defense skills and many other important areas. The course is open to all civil servants no matter your department or ministry and will take place in Room LG1 in Great Minster House , 33 Horseferry Road (the building next door to 2 Marsham Street) starting on 27 th  January 2026 at 5pm and last an hour. As with all SPARTA activities we aim to keep the price reasonable for everyone attending so the cost will be £60 to non-SPARTA members and £40 for SPARTA members. Book your place now. Stay Safe Global have said “ We are thrilled to announce the return of our highly acclaimed personal safety training program, starting January 27th. A holistic 360 approach, developed from the valuable experiences of London based female refuges, our courses keep survivor experience at the heart of organisational support, and is now trusted by global leaders such as Google and Salesforce. Our focus is on trauma-informed strategies for danger awareness, travel safety, and effective physical escape techniques . We also tackle misogynistic extremism, offering solutions through awareness and resources. As industry experts, we can help stamp it out effectively. Don't miss this opportunity to become part of a safer, more inclusive world. Reserve your spot today to transform your approach to safety and support .” If you are interested in attending the Personal Safety course, then please get in touch with us at SPARTA@dft.gov.uk for more information and to book your place on the course.

The Civil Service Choir – looking ahead to 2026!   The Civil Service Choir had a busy end to 2025. They performed Orff’s Carmina Burana with its famous O Fortuna  opening at Holy Trinity, dazzled guests at the Civil Service Awards ceremony, and held two Christmas concerts locally in Westminster.   Performing at the Civil Service awards As we look ahead to 2026, the choir will be joined by the Brandenburg Sinfonia orchestra as they perform Haydn’s The Creation on the evening of 26 th April 2026 at Sinfonia Smith Square, London.   Click the link below for more details, and how to get involved!   ----   The Civil Service Choir had a marvellous end to 2025, with a performance of Carmina Burana , a serenade for guests as they arrived at the Civil Service Awards ceremony, and two Christmas concerts.   Performing Carmen Burana As spring arrives, they’ll be celebrating the change of season alongside the Brandenburg Sinfonia orchestra with a concert of Haydn’s The Creation  on 26 th  April 2026 at Sinfonia Smith Square, London.   Published in 1800, Haydn’s The Creation  was the first choral work to be published in both German and English texts. In this performance, it will be in English. Inspired by the Book of Genesis and Milton’s Paradise Lost, Haydn’s oratorio captures the emergence of light, life, and order with sublime artistry. Through radiant choruses, masterful orchestration, and expressive solo passages, The Creation  affirms the beauty and majesty of the natural world.   At Sinfonia Smith Square, the Civil Service Choir recently performed Mozart’s Requiem with “impressive power and emotion” and Brahms’ Ein Deutsches Requiem  – after which Jools Holland OBE exclaimed “this choir is one of the best I’ve ever heard”.   Tickets for The Creation can be purchased directly from the venue here: Haydn - The Creation - Sinfonia Smith Square .   Choir Rehearsal Looking for a new years’ resolution that boosts wellbeing? Why not join the choir on stage! They always welcome new members, and it’s no-audition. See Join us – The Civil Service Choir  for more details. For a free taster session, please email etcetera@civilservicechoir.org.uk .

The SPARTA History Society has a varied programme of talks with leading historians from major universities covering Ancient Rome, English Civil War, How World War Two is remembered and the Global Middle Ages. Wed 14 th January The Blood in Winter: A Nation Descends, 1642 - Jonathan Healey                Online Talk from GMH 5.7 1pm In 1642, England fell into Civil War. Before this epoch-making collapse, there was a political crisis in the winter of 1641 that saw King Charles I lose control of his capital. It was a time of political intrigue, the gathering of armed forces, and mass protests on the streets of London and Westminster. This talk tells the story of that crisis - the breakdown that brought on the English Civil War. Why did the English Civil War break out?  The Blood in Winter  tells the story of an English people's great political awakening, and of a nation that splintered into bloodshed at a terrifying speed. Jonathan Healey recreates the claustrophobic atmosphere of the day, with rowdy protestors in the streets and London blanketed in coal smoke. It is a story of remarkable but flawed characters, all faced with unpalatable choices, and a frightening picture of a society in profound distress. Jonathan Healey is a historian of the 16th and 17th centuries. His writing focuses on ordinary people – their lives, loves, culture and politics. He is Associate Professor in Social History at Kellogg College, University of Oxford. His previous book, ‘The Blazing World: A New History of Revolutionary England’, was selected as a book of the year by ‘The Telegraph’, ‘The Economist’ and ‘The New Yorker’.   Mon 26 th January      The Global Middle Ages - Catherine Holmes Online Talk 12.30pm Until very recently the focus of 'global history' has been on the origins of the modern world. Yet several features associated with 'modern' and 'early modern' global history (e.g. long-distance commercial interaction, voluntary and forced migration, multi-ethnic empires, and the transmission of cultural forms) were clearly also present in the centuries before 1500. Some of those features connected Europe to a wider world, as can be seen in the rise of Venice and the global spice trade. But in thinking about a global Middle Ages, historians also see connections and comparisons across the entire globe in the medieval period. In this sense, the Global Middle Ages can encompass topics such as the creation of the Mongol empire, trading links forged along the Silk Roads, long-distance connections in the Indian Ocean between China and east Africa, and the existence of large scale urban settlements in the Americas, including the extraordinary site of Cahokia on the Mississippi. This talk will illuminate   some of these dimensions of the Global   Middle Ages on the basis of a research project conducted by historians at the Universities of Oxford, Birmingham and Newcastle.   Website:  http://globalmiddleages.history.ox.ac.uk Catherine Holmes is Professor of Medieval History and a Fellow of University College, Oxford. Catherine recently edited The Global Middle Ages (Oxford, 2018), a Past and Present supplement volume which draws together the findings of a collaborative project funded by the AHRC.   Thur 29 th January      Crispina Peres: The Heretic of Cacheu – Toby Green Online Talk 12pm Toby Green will give a talk on the extraordinary story of seventeenth-century West African slave trader Crispina Peres. Toby Green is professor of precolonial and Lusophone African history and culture at King’s College, London. A Fellow of the British Academy, he is the author of The Rise of the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade in Western Africa, 1300–1589 and, most recently, A Fistful of Shells, also published by the University of Chicago Press.   Wed 11 th  February     Twentieth Century Seaside Architecture - Kathryn Ferry                   Online Talk from GMH 5.7 1pm Talk based on Kathryn’s new book of the same title, this talk explores how seaside buildings changed between 1920 and 2000. Though this period covers both the heyday and the dramatic decline in popularity of the British seaside holiday Kathryn will show that new attractions were created throughout the century to try and meet shifting expectations. The talk includes everything from hotels, lidos and entertainment pavilions to beach huts, amusement arcades and leisure centres.’ Dr Kathryn Ferry is an architectural historian. She has published on numerous seaside subjects and is a founder member of the Seaside Heritage Network. She regularly contributes to TV, radio and podcasts.   Tue 17 th February      The 1946 WW2 Victory Parade – Jenny Grant Online Talk 1pm In this talk Jennifer Grant explores why the motivation and timing of the event resulted in the Parade failing to gain a foothold in British narratives of the aftermath of the war and is now largely forgotten except that the Parade is only remembered today by the UK Polish community, with the Polish absence from the Parade remaining a 'wound which has not been cleaned at all.' Jennifer Grant is a historian of WW2. Her research focuses on the Polish role in the war, she is keen to raise awareness of the Polish experience of the Second World War.   3 rd March        Economica: A Global History of Women, Wealth and Power – Victoria Bateman Online Talk from GMH 5.7 1pm Economic Historian Victoria Bateman will talk about her new book Economica which weaves a thrilling, globe-spanning narrative that proves women weren't 'missing' from economic life, they were merely hidden from view. We discover the female workers who helped to build the Great Pyramid of Giza, and to plumb the city of ancient Rome; the silk weavers who made a vital contribution to the development of the Silk Road and global trade; the women who dominated London's brewing trade during medieval times; and the brave twentieth-century pioneers who fought to make our economies not just richer but fairer.  Economica  rewrites our understanding of women's role in the economy, and tells a more accurate economic history of us all. Dr Victoria Bateman is an economic historian and author of books including Economica: A Global History of Women, Wealth and Power (Headline Press, August 2025), Naked Feminism: Breaking the Cult of Female Modesty (Polity, 2023) and The Sex Factor: How Women made the West Rich (Polity, 2019). She has twenty years’ experience teaching economics and economic history at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge.  Victoria was resident economic historian for BBC Radio 4’s “Understand: the economy” and has written for Bloomberg, Times Higher Education, The Guardian, CapX and The Telegraph, offering longer-form perspectives on history and the economy.   Wed 11 th  March             The hidden history of women's football in England - Carrie Dunn Online Talk 1pm England's Lionesses are on the front and back pages; their stars feature on prime-time television; they are named in the national honours lists for their contribution to their sport and to society.  These women are top athletes – and top celebrities. But in 1921, the Football Association introduced a ban on women’s football, pronouncing the sport 'quite unsuitable for females'. That ban would last for half a century - but despite official prohibition the women’s game went underground. From the Dick, Kerr Ladies touring the world to the Lost Lionesses who played at the unsanctioned Women's World Cup in Mexico in 1971, generations of women defied the restrictions and laid the foundations for today's Lionesses - so much so that in 2018 England's Women’s Super League became the first fully professional league in Europe...when just a few decades previously women were forbidden to play the sport in England at all. This book tells the story of women’s football in England since its 19th-century inception through pen portraits of its trailblazers. The game might have once been banned because of its popularity – find out about the subversive women who kept organising their teams and matches despite the prohibition, who broke barriers and set records – the legends of the game who built the foundations of the stage upon which today’s stars flourish. Carrie Dunn is a sports writer.  She has covered events from the Ashes to the Olympics for national and international publications and is a regular broadcaster on TV and radio. She is an expert on women's football history; her book 'Unsuitable for Females' was shortlisted for Football Book of the Year at the 2023 Sports Book Awards, and more recently 'Woman Up' was nominated for the 2024 Vikki Orvice Award for Women's Sport Writing.   Mon 23 rd  March         African Emperor - Septimius Severus - Simon Elliott Online Talk 1pm Septimius Severus was born into the richest family in a North African spring in Leptis and came to power at the height of Rome’s might. The emperor led the largest army to ever campaign in Britain as part of a Roman military establishment, but he also left a might legacy in the built environment. Severus used his North African upbringing as the template for, the Severan reset. This was the first major post-Augustan reformation of the Roman world and established the emperor’s dynasty, which lasted almost half a century.   Dr Simon Elliott is an author, historian, archaeologist and broadcaster. He has worked with outlets as varied as History Hit and Channel 5 and has published several books on Roman history. Wed 1st April             Culture Wars in Ancient Rome - Christopher Burden-Strevens Online Talk from GMH 5.7 1pm 'Culture Wars, Then and Now: Immigration and Xenophobia in Julius Caesar's Rome' with Dr Christopher Burden-Strevens of the University of Kent Christopher will share his brand new research on the Roman Republic and examine the treatment of foreigners and migrants in Ancient Rome. Tue 14th April            How the Second World War is remembered – Keith Lowe Online Talk from GMH 5.7 1pm Why are we so obsessed with World War II? Historian Keith Lowe thinks the answer lies in what we choose to remember and what we choose to forget about history. In his talk, Keith Lowe describes the grey areas of an epochal event often considered in black and white terms, and argues that we need to challenge our assumptions to avoid repeating historical mistakes. Keith Lowe is widely recognised as an authority on World War Two and its aftermath. He is the bestselling author of several prize-winning works of history, including ‘Inferno’, ‘Savage Continent’, and ‘The Fear and the Freedom’. A regular contributor to newspapers and journals.

Here is a Christmas message from the SPARTA Leeds Running group Firstly, we wanted to say thank you to everyone who got involved with the club in 2025. It’s great to have established a small running community in the Leeds office and we’re looking forward to doing even more next year.    As some of you will already know, we’ve moved to having a monthly “official” run now, which takes place at 12:15 on the first Tuesday of every month. We’ll refresh the invites to these in the new year to make sure everyone who wants to run can block out some time in their diaries nice and early.    Some of the members of the SPARTA Leeds running group at Leeds Dock Relay in 2025 However, that doesn't mean we won't be running in the time between! We’ll keep organising other lunchtime runs through the Leeds SPARTA running club group chat – if you’d like to be added to the chat then please let me know. We usually get out at least once a week.   When the evenings finally start to get lighter, we’d love to organise a few more after work runs as we know those suit some people better – and it also gives us a chance to enjoy a social drink afterwards!     Finally, we’ll do our best to highlight some local races that people might fancy getting involved in - there’s far more than just the Abbey Dash going on around Leeds! And we’ve got a few ideas for some team events we could get involved in as a group too – watch this space.    On that note, for anyone who fancies sneaking out for and fun and festive 5k this Christmas, here are all the local parkrun special events coming up:    Parkrun Christmas day? New Year's day? Armley Y Y Bramley Y Y Chevin Forest Y Y Conyngham Hall Y N Fountains Abbey N Y Harrogate Y N Lister Park Y Y Middleton Woods N Y Potternewton N Y Roberts Park Y N Rothwell Y Y Roundhay Y N Wetherby Y Y Woodhouse Moor Y Y York Y Y   Hope Santa brings you all a nice new pair of running shoes and see you next year.    James, Kathryn and Richard

SPARTA is pleased to announce that we have booked a date and ground for the 2026 SPARTA Sport and Wellbeing Day. Date - 24th July 2026 Location - We are returning to Imber Court Sports Ground, near Hampton Court. The location is only an extra 5 minute journey compared to the journey to the Kings House Sports Ground. We are really looking forward to welcoming you all to a day of fun and wellbeing in July. If you are interested in volunteering to help on the day then we would love to hear from you. Please email us at SPARTA@dft.gov.uk Any feedback from last years event is also welcome. Let's have the best Sport and Wellbeing Day ever.

Last year over 35,000 people joined in CSSC's Active Wellbeing Challenges. The challenges start again in February 2026. Can you and/or your team combine to walk/run/swim enough miles to go round the world? The challenges are fun but also inclusive and completing them will give you an enormous amount of satisfaction. Why not sign up and use their challenges to help increase your health and wellbeing in 2026. Make it part of your everyday wellbeing package. Check out the CSSC website for full details. The link is below Homepage – Active Wellbeing

SPARTA are pleased to announce the publication of the SPARTA Annual Report 2025. The front cover features a picture of the Swinging Mandarins band playing at the 2025 Sport and Wellbeing Day. The report gives a run down of the many activities that SPARTA has helped to put on throughout the year. You can download the report using the link below. We hope that you all like the report. If you wish to send us any comments then please do contact us at SPARTA@dft.gov.uk

The Civil Service 10km and 5km races took place on 16th April 2025 in Battersea Park. There was a good turnout from the SPARTA runners from both DfT and MHCLG. I am pleased to report that the 10km race was won once again by Jack Millar in a time of 30 minutes and 56 seconds. He has won the race for the last few years and says that this is an event that he loves to run in each year. A few days later Jack competed in the London Marathon running an excellent time of 2 hours 24 minutes and 6 seconds finishing in an incredible 54th place out of 56,640 finishers! I hope that he was equally pleased with that result. Jack Millar winner of the 10km receives his gold medal With Jack winning the 10km race that gave the other SPARTA runners a great start in the team event and with Luke Watson (33m 43s) finishing in 4th place, Matthew Herbert (36m 34s) finishing in 9th place, and Louis Cowling (38m 16s) finishing in 15th place, SPARTA managed to win the mens team event for the second year on the trot. The winning team Our remaining competitors were: 27 Sunny Gidda 0:40:02 41 James Nichols 0:41:42 43 Connor Roberts 0:42:05 45 Alex Holmes 0:42:15 48 Alexander Grant 0:42:42 63 Neil Quinlan 0:44:53 72 Ben Toogood 0:45:29 76 Jac Williams 0:45:47 78 Danton Bounds 0:46:02 79 Stanley Rudkin 0:46:02 86 Sion Pithouse 0:46:34 90 Davis Drew 0:47:07 100 Julia Niagulova 0:47:53 108 Matthew Eglinton 0:48:20 114 Daniel Rowan 0:48:38 125 Pippa Savill 0:49:28 134 Jake Pitchers 0:49:52 146 James Pritchard 0:51:04 149 Jack Rampling 0:51:20 155 Kane De Antonis 0:52:05 160 Catherine Barham 0:52:37 167 Jade Berry 0:54:03 178 Lawrence Green 0:56:19 187 Peter Brohan 0:57:12 201 Georgina Wilkie 1:01:21 204 Nilesh Tailor 1:03:09* 207 Sally Parker 1:04:10 Nilesh Tailor admitted after the event that he was enjoying the run so much that he forgot to count the laps and accidentally ran an extra lap so ended up running 12.5km!!! Nilesh Tailor and Julia Niagulova The 5km race is a non championship race so is counted as a fun run by the Civil Service Athletics Association but even so it is a fun event to take part in and challenge yourself. SPARTA a number of competitors. They were: Place Name Time 8 William Turner 21.33 9 Miles Knight 22.02 10 Felix Ivers 22.21 15 Fanus Weldensae 25.17 22 Megan Gunter 27.51 26 Tim Roast 29.17 27 Emily Kenning 30.41 34 Catherine Turner 31.50 37 Ollie Jacob 33.06 38 Emily Dumont 33.06 46 Sophie Jones 35.27 61 Evelyn Goodall 61.14 62 Meher Iqbal 61.14 63 Lucy Britton 61.14 64 Luke Rogers 61.14 65 Gemma Matthews 61.14 As it is a non championship race there are no team prizes for the 5km which is a shame as our runners love to do this event too. Keep up this wonderful effort.

The Drama club, the St James's and Westminster Players, are busy preparing for the autumn scene with auditions and productions in the pipeline. Their next production is "The Ink Runs Red", an exciting production specially selected for Halloween. You can book tickets for this Online production which takes place on 21st October and 22nd October by visiting this address The St James's and Westminster Players event tickets from TicketSource. The Players are also auditioning for places in their upcoming events. If you would like to get involved in any role from acting to backstage etc. that they have on offer then please do get in contact with them at sjwplayers@gmail.com If you fancy watching the players in action then you can now watch their production of the twelfth night on YouTube by clicking on this link Twelfth Night The Players are now producing a monthly newsletter. The October edition is below. If you would like to be added to their newsletter list then please do email them.

The SPARTA Golf Society report from their Autumn meeting which was held at Ealing Golf Club. After torrential rain the day before, the sun shone brightly throughout the day of their Autumn meeting. Two guests from the Home Office Golf Society were invited along to enjoy the day but the rules did not allow them to take away any trophies, however one was awarded some golf balls for the best Stableford score on the day. Unusually for the SPARTA Golf Society, the venue was some way inside the M25 but thanks to this some members were able to take advantage of the underground with Perivale tube station just across the road (the A40!) from the course. The course itself was in great condition despite some ground work in recent weeks. However, with the river Brent affecting many holes, it was tricky to navigate and there were many tales of watery graves. The course is also crossed by public footpaths meaning that golfers had to negotiate several gates to access some holes. Ealing Golf Club with the River Brent With free refreshments at the halfway house, any trials or tribulations were quickly forgotten and some went on winning ways. Andrew Gardner broke the 'M' surname rule with runners-up spot on the Robinson Bowl, after the not more than one prize per person rule was adopted. The trophy itself went back to Tom Millard, the winner in 2024.  In the Chapman Cup, it was an all family affair with James Milligan taking the prize and brother Dave in the runners-up slot. Dave did however receive the nearest the pin prize with another 'M' surname, Tom Millard, taking the Nearest the Pin in 2 accolade. With only 3 points between Pete Frost and Andrew Gardner in the race for the Golfer of the Year trophy heading into the final meeting of the the year at the Darenth it was all to play for at the AGM meeting in October. The final meeting of the year took place at The Darenth Golf Club which is just outside Sevenoaks in Kent. It was beautiful warm and sunny day which surprised everyone considering it was 6th October. The only thing that tried to ruin the day was swarms of ladybirds! Beautiful Sunny Skies over the 9th hole at The Darenth The final meeting is always a challenge match against the Ashdown Golf Society which is always popular and a closely fought contest. Ray Owen tees off on the sixth hole at The Darenth At the end of the match the SPARTA golfers were able to say "It's come Home!" after they won back the Pauley/Richards Trophy by four matches to two. After a non-event last year, our team were magnificent in winning back the trophy and score between the two societies is now nine wins a piece. That just shows how close this contest has been over the past twenty years. Separate from the match in the singles match, Andrew Gardner was triumphant and took the Secretary's Cup from James Milligan. James unfortunately had to leave early but his efforts did ensure that he took Golfer of the Year by one point. Another winner was Justin Bone after his epic match against Peter Millard in the Mond Cup final. Unfortunately, the trophy wasn't to hand but he was awarded a picture of it! Other prize winners were Owen Jones for his excellent tee shot to the 5th green, whilst Nearest The Pin in Two went to Peter Millard. The SPARTA Golf Society are always looking for new members so if you fancy a fun round of golf in some beautiful surroundings with some good company then why not come along and Join the SPARTA Golf Society TODAY.

This summer the Civil Service Choir celebrated their 200th performance with a programme of swing and jazz favourites with a choral twist, accompanied by a professional jazz orchestra. Following their 200th performance this summer, the Civil Service Choir is preparing for a busy autumn/winter season. They’ve got a busy schedule for the remainder of the year, performing Carmina Burana with its famous O’Fortuna opening on 22nd November 2025, their annual lunchtime carol service on 16th December 2025, and a chamber choir Christmas concert on 18th December 2025. They’ll be marking autumn with a concert featuring Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, as well as Sir John Rutter’s Feel the Spirit, on the evening of 22nd November 2025. Carmina Burana is an epic work based on a series of 13th-century German Medieval songs toasting to life’s pleasures. Bookended by a calling to Fortune (O’Fortuna), the work is split into three sections: Springtime, In the Tavern, and The Court of Love. You’d likely recognise O’Fortuna from the classic surfing Old Spice Advert, Simon Cowell’s entrance music on the X Factor and many other dramatic on-screen moments! Don’t miss the chance to see this powerful work performed. Orff himself said that “everything I have written to date… can be destroyed. With Carmina Burana, my collected works begin.” If that wasn’t enticing enough, the 100-strong choir will be joined by a children’s choir and accompanied by the Whitehall Orchestra at the Holy Trinity, Sloane Square , and SPARTA members have a discount code! Tickets can be purchased using the following link, with discount code “SPARTA05”: Whitehall Orchestra . To get into the festive spirit this Christmas, save the date for the Civil Service Choir’s annual lunchtime carol service at St Stephen’s, Rochester Row, on 16th December 2025. This traditional service will include congregational carols and readings. There will also be a chamber choir Christmas concert featuring Christmas music through the centuries on the evening of 18th December 2025 at St Stephen’s, Rochester Row. If you’re more inclined to join the choir on stage than watch from the audience, they always welcome new members, and it’s no-audition! See Join us – The Civil Service Choir for more details. For a free taster session, please email etcetera@civilservicechoir.org.uk

During 2025 the SPARTA History Society has organised 40 events, 37 talks and 3 walks, the most it has ever achieved. During 2025 it has also helped the Department for Transport to celebrate Railway 200, the 200th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway. organising 16 Railway 200 talks, 1 walk and members have organised events in Leeds Office and in September in Great Minster House put on a display of railway items in reception, alongside archive images from Historic England. The History Society's Rail 200 display in GMH There are still plenty of events that you can attend before the end of year too. Check them out below. Future Events Wed 22nd Oct Jewish History in City of Westminster walking tour This walk is led by City of Westminster Guide Graham Greenglass. Cost £6 Pay on the day cash or card Fri 24 Oct The Railway Clearing House, Roy Edwards Online talk 1pm Thursday 6 Nov The Mirror of Great Britain: A Life of James VI & I, Dr Clare Jackson Online talk 1pm The History Society is delighted to welcome Clare Jackson Honorary Professor of Early Modern History at Cambridge University and a Fellow of Trinity Hall to talk about her latest book ‘The Mirror of Great Britain: A life of James VI & I. To attend book here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/online-history-talk-on-king-james-vi-i-tickets-1559996715169?aff=oddtdtcreator Or pay direct using https://pay.sumup.com/b2c/QCH74D4W Monday 10th Nov Beeching Report – Charles Loft Online Talk 1pm Thur 13th Nov The risks of the job – staff safety on Britain’s railways in the past Mike Esbester Online Talk 1pm Thur 20th November Why was Britain first? Rethinking the history of the industrial revolution’ Professor Emma Griffin Online talk from GMH room 5.7 1pm Emma Griffin is a Professor of Modern British History and an historian of the Industrial Revolution. Wed 10th December Why the 800th Anniversary of Magna Carta is 2025, not 2015 Professor David Carpenter Online talk from GMH room 5.7 1pm David Carpenter is Professor of Medieval History at King’s College London and the author of various books on the Middle Ages. Mon 15th Dec How to survive a Mongol invasion? (1218-1300) Nicholas Morton Online Talk 12.45pm If you are interested in joining or attending the SPARTA History Society events then please contact Robert Baker : robert.baker@dft.gov.uk