On Saturday 24 March, Sixth Form History pupils took the opportunity to see a titan of history, David Starkey, deliver a lecture on Henry VIII. Accompanied by Head of History Mr Paul Green, the lecture was held at Henley’s iconic Kenton Theatre, and attracted a large crowd of pupils and interested spectators. Thank you to Mr Green for the following report:
‘David Starkey is an English constitutional historian and radio and television presenter. Having attended Cambridge on a scholarship, he is considered a leading historian. Shiplake students thoroughly enjoyed attending his lecture, which was about Henry VIII, England’s first ‘Brexit’, (the break from Rome) and subsequent Reformation. The lecture was informative and engaging. The Cambridge Don was typically bullish and ebullient; his lecture provoked, challenged and ultimately captivated the audience. It was a fantastic opportunity for students to see a historian ‘live’ and engage with controversial and relevant topics first hand.’
Year 13 pupil Tia Dinescu commented: ‘Shiplake’s History Department organised a trip to the Kenton Theatre in Henley to listen to the renowned historian David Starkey on Henry VIII and the English Tudor period. With seats in the second row for the entire group, spirits were high and we were all quite excited to see what the evening had in store for us.
Having finished signing and selling his books, Dr Starkey took the floor but not before agreeing to share a selfie with one of the students, Ellie Simpson-Ball. The Cambridge academic set the tone of the conversation by stating that the current Brexit situation mirrors the Tudor break from Catholicism and what ensued was an amusing yet thoroughly captivating presentation on the values and culture of VIII and his reign, sometimes interjected by Nigel Farage jokes. The historian’s flamboyance was generally welcome and it certainly made for some remarkably memorable moments. All in all, the evening was a complete success, and the Shiplake historians left the Kenton even more enthusiastic about their course of study.’
