EVENTS & EXHIBITIONS
WHAT TO SEE AND WHERE TO VISIT IN THE WIDER WORLD OF HISTORY
TOUR
Castle of Light: Hidden Treasures
PAID ENTRY
Edinburgh Castle, until 9 January 2022 Check dates and book tickets for a timed entry at castleoflight.scot
the castle’s past
Returning to the Scottish capital is a family friendly visual spectacle that promises to light up the dark winter nights throughout December and early January 2022. State-of-the-art lighting installations and animations will illuminate the walls of Edinburgh Castle, creating an interactive experience in which hidden treasures from the history of the famous stronghold, the so-called ‘defender of the nation’, can be explored.
Sitting atop Castle Rock, the castle commands a watchful eye over the city. It is the most besieged place in Britain, having changed hands many times and seen its fair share of battles – from the Wars of Scottish Independence in the 13th and 14th centuries through to the Jacobite Risings.
A feature of the show will be the rediscovery, in 1818, of the ‘Honours of Scotland’, the crown jewels used at the coronations of Scottish kings and queens. They had been hidden for one-and-a-half centuries, locked away in a chest to prevent them falling into the hands of Oliver Cromwell’s army, and melted down. It was with the help of Walter Scott, a giant of Scottish literature, that they were found, and they have been on display ever since.
Anyone who went to Castle of Light in 2019 will remember Rex the Lion, who will make a return to guide visitors through the stories of 2021’s after-dark light spectacular. Tickets must be booked in advance for a specific time slot.
EXHIBITION
Fighting Talk: One Boy’s Journey from Abandonment to Trafalgar
PAID ENTRY
Foundling Museum, London, until 27 February 2022, foundlingmuseum.org.uk
Through the autobiography of a man you are unlikely to have heard of, George King, a new exhibition will explore 18th-century society, warfare and life, from the origins of Britain’s first children’s charity, the Foundling Hospital, to the battle of Trafalgar in 1805. George was foundling number 18,053 at the hospital, a home for orphaned, abandoned or vulnerable children (one of the foundling’s waistcoasts can be seen above). Learning to read and write, he became an apprentice, but ran away and, in 1804, was press-ganged into the Royal Navy. His voyages took him around the world and into battle at Horatio Nelson’s great victory. George’s memoirs offer an enthralling eyewitness account of the toils of life at sea, as well as war. The exhibition features original pages of the manuscript, naval medals, letters annotated by Nelson, and a fragment of the flag from the revered admiral’s coffin.
EXHIBITION
Hogarth and Europe
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Tate Britain, London, until 20 March 2022, tate.org.uk
William Hogarth was an 18th-century English artist and satirist known for his social commentary and tackling of moral issues, such as alcoholism, prostitution and cruelty. Society in Europe was going through a dramatic shift and Hogarth was there to capture it all – from innovation and revolution to injustice and exploitation. For the first time, some of Hogarth’s greatest works will be displayed alongside his European contemporaries. These include Chardin from Paris, Francesco Guardi from Venice, and Amsterdam’s Cornelis Troost. Together, these artworks will highlight the parallels that European society shared during the 18th century.
SHOW
Lord Foppletwig’s Christmas Contraption Show
PAID ENTRY
Thackray Museum of Medicine, Leeds, 11–19 December, thackraymuseum.co.uk
If you enjoy getting to know what a Victorian Christmas was like, but a more chaotic and silly version than you’ll get with Dickens, then the Thackray Museum of Medicine in Leeds wants to introduce you to Lord Foppletwig. In this festive slapstick show, the eponymous street peddler – and his two long-suffering servants Messrs Douglas and Gacko – will be regaling audiences with stories, songs and stunts, while attempting to prove that his unusual inventions actually work. It promises to be a far-from typical Christmas show.
After a £4 million refurbishment, the award-winning Thackray Museum of Medicine is teeming with artefacts, galleries and experiences about the fascinating, and often gruesome, history of medicine and healthcare. Highlights include Adolf Hitler’s blood transfusion kit and Prince Albert’s medicine chest.
EVENT
Palace of Stardust
PAID ENTRY
Hampton Court Palace, London, 8 December to 3 January 2022, hrp.org.uk/hampton-court-palace
In the centre of Hampton Court Palace is an astronomical clock made for Henry VIII and installed on the gatehouse. As well as telling the time, it shows the phases of the Moon, the signs of the zodiac, and the movement of the Sun. is is the beating heart of the palace and has inspired a magnificent Christmas light trail. Visitors will be able to walk around the cobbled lanterns and light projections of the planets, moons, clocks and sundials all over the Tudor palace. To really get into a festive mood, Hampton Court will also be home to an ice rink, open daily, until 9 January 2022.