Toni Talks
I'm an experienced speaker with many topics to interest your group ...
...from a 20 minute chat to a 20 week course...
This is my most popular talk, with anecdotes, recipes and shopping, we look at the lives of ordinary folk in the middle ages, including the instructions given by an elderly husband to his new young wife, plus child care, food and fashion.
Based on my first non-fiction book The Medieval Housewife and Women of the Middle Ages.
"Thank you so much for coming to our meeting yesterday. You certainly has us all enthralled.... especially at the notes written by a [medieval] husband for his wife!! "
How to Survive in Medieval England
Imagine you were transported back to Medieval England and had to start a new life. How would you survive without your mobile phone, internet and social media? When transport means walking (or, if you’re fortunate, horse-back), how will you know where you are or where to go? Where will you live? What is there to eat? What shall you wear? Who can you go to if you fall ill or are mugged in the street?
However you can you fit into and thrive in this strange environment full of odd people who seem so different from you. All you need is the information gleaned from this entertaining talk based on my latest book: How to Survive in Medieval England.
"Thank you so much for coming this weekend. You were absolutely fantastic. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed your talk. We’d love to have you back..." Bosworth Medieval Festival,
Medieval Medicine - a fascinating and frightening subject
As well as medicines derived from plants, medieval doctors also included animal-based remedies in their pharmacopeia. Some of these would horrify us today, such as a treatment for gout that required boiling newborn puppies! But others are far less grim, such as snail slime, used in medieval times to treat minor burns and scalds and currently making a comeback
Based on my highly successful book Medieval Medicine
The Apothecary’s Garden - the history of natural remedies up to modern times.
Throughout history people have found natural remedies to cure their ills. Sometimes the treatments were sensible but many others were weird and unsuccessful. Surprisingly some ancient remedies are even now being found to effectively treat our most challenging diseases whilst others are the basis for our most common cures. All these treatments would be found on the Apothecary’s shelves or even now grown in our gardens and hedgerows.
Christmas in the Middle-ages - Christmas without turkey, roast potatoes, crackers, cards and Father Christmas
"Firstly, I must thank you for the great talk that you gave our group last week. The Tour Manager reported that it went down very well and we have already had some appreciative comments from our travellers"
Medieval London - how people lived in our historic capital city
When the Roman legions withdrew from the province of Britannia in 410 AD, leaving the people of this land to look to their own defences, what did they leave behind? To them Britannia was as much their home as it was to the Celtic people who had lived here since before the Romans came. This is the story of how London developed in the next 1000 years
Based on my #1 Best Seller Everyday Life in Medieval London
They Dared to be Doctors - the fascinating story of the first Victorian ladies to succeed in a man’s world…
When Bristol born Elizabeth Blackwell decided she wanted to be a doctor the Universities in her adopted USA didn't want to know and in England Elizabeth Garrett faced a similar struggle. Despite endless rejection they went on to pioneer women's careers in the medical profession.
Based on my book of the same name.
Ration-book Britain - how we lived in the 40s & 50s and how the modern housewife was taught to look after her husband!
Reviews:
Faversham U3A
Many thanks Toni for your talk on Wednesday. I found it absolutely fascinating... I know that the other members I have spoken to also enjoyed your talk
NW Kent Family History Society
The talk was so enjoyable giving an insight as to how our Christmas customs have been passed down the ages from Medieval times. You tell it in such an entertaining way ... A splendid talk.
Horsmonden Historical Society
Your talk went down an absolute treat! Every one of our members thought it was one of the best talks we have had for a very long time.
Thank you very much.
Rosewood Ladies Club
On behalf of the Rosewood Ladies Club I would like to thank you for a fascinating talk tonight about the life of a medieval housewife.
Thank you for a very thought provoking evening.
Richard III Society Gloucester Branch
Thanks for providing such a wonderful day full of information and interest. Feed back from attendees has been excellent and everyone spent a superb day enjoying the wealth of information you packed into the occasion.... an absolute “treat” - thanks for making our Study Day so special.
NWKent Family History Society
.... we would like to thank you for a very enjoyable and entertaining talk. It was interesting to be reminded of the rations we were allowed during the 2WW and after, it made us appreciate how well families coped. Some members told me of how much they enjoy reading your books, thank you for bringing them with you.
"The talk was so enjoyable, giving an insight as to how our Christmas customs have been passed down the ages from Medieval times. You tell it in such an entertaining way. A splendid talk."
Here I am speaking to the Dartford Historical Society recently about Tudor & Stuart Food (it takes a couple of minutes to get going)
All my talks can be delivered online via Zoom and come with a fully illustrated presentation. They are based on many years of my personal research and I can bring all my own equipment.
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