HISTORY COURSES
Welcome to our History section! We offer a wide range of classes for you to explore and learn from. Take a look at our selection and find the perfect fit for your interests and schedule.
We can't wait to see you in class!
The Last Tsars
Join David Price on this course traces the dramatic final century of the Romanov dynasty, exploring the lives, reigns and decisions of Russia’s last emperors. We will focus on Alexander II, Alexander III and Nicholas II, while also looking back to earlier rulers — from Catherine the Great through to Alexander I — to understand how their legacies shaped the turbulent years that followed.
Topics include:
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The reforming zeal of Alexander II, including the emancipation of the serfs
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Reaction and repression under Alexander III
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Nicholas II’s troubled reign and the collapse of imperial authority
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The Crimean War and Russia’s changing place in Europe
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Industrial modernisation and the growth of the railways
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Treatment of minorities and nationalist tensions across the empire
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The 1905 Revolution and the failure of the Duma
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The influence of the Tsarina and Rasputin
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Russia’s descent into World War I and the revolutions of 1917
Across the course, we will discuss the conflict between tradition and reform, the pressures on an expanding empire, and how the decisions of the last Tsars led to the end of a 300-year dynasty and the birth of a new, tumultuous era.
The History of Education
in
Nottingham
Musicals: The Weird and the Wonderful
From political intrigue to fairy-tale fantasy, horror, satire and outright eccentricity, the musical has always been a bold and experimental form. This course explores some of the most fascinating — and occasionally baffling — examples of the genre, uncovering the surprising themes and ideas hidden beneath the show tunes and sequins.
We will look at:
🎙️ Musicals and world politics
How Evita, Call Me Madam and Chess tackled political figures and global tensions — and whether they truly captured their subjects.
🧛♂️ Horror transformed for the stage
From parody in Rocky Horror and Little Shop of Horrors to the darker worlds of Sweeney Todd and Jekyll & Hyde.
✨ Fairy tales reinvented
From the playful twists of Frozen to Sondheim’s Into the Woods, where magic, morality and a broken fourth wall collide.
🎼 Rodgers & Hammerstein — beyond the sunshine
A look at their lesser-known works, controversies, and the surprisingly dark corners of their classic musicals.
🎩 The delightfully odd
Including The Producers, Hello, Dolly!, Paint Your Wagon and even musicals inspired by industrial disputes (yes — really!).
Through clips, discussion and context, we’ll discover how musical theatre has always been a home for sharp ideas, daring themes and wonderfully weird storytelling — proving there's far more to the genre than chorus lines and happy endings.
Musicals: The Weird and the Wonderful
From political intrigue to fairy-tale fantasy, horror, satire and outright eccentricity, the musical has always been a bold and experimental form. This course explores some of the most fascinating — and occasionally baffling — examples of the genre, uncovering the surprising themes and ideas hidden beneath the show tunes and sequins.
We will look at:
🎙️ Musicals and world politics
How Evita, Call Me Madam and Chess tackled political figures and global tensions — and whether they truly captured their subjects.
🧛♂️ Horror transformed for the stage
From parody in Rocky Horror and Little Shop of Horrors to the darker worlds of Sweeney Todd and Jekyll & Hyde.
✨ Fairy tales reinvented
From the playful twists of Frozen to Sondheim’s Into the Woods, where magic, morality and a broken fourth wall collide.
🎼 Rodgers & Hammerstein — beyond the sunshine
A look at their lesser-known works, controversies, and the surprisingly dark corners of their classic musicals.
🎩 The delightfully odd
Including The Producers, Hello, Dolly!, Paint Your Wagon and even musicals inspired by industrial disputes (yes — really!).
Through clips, discussion and context, we’ll discover how musical theatre has always been a home for sharp ideas, daring themes and wonderfully weird storytelling — proving there's far more to the genre than chorus lines and happy endings.
From October 1066, Duke William of Normandy and his entourage changed England forever. But what was his background and how was England affected by the last successful invasion of the country? What for instance, is the symbolic link between England & Normandy? How does what is probably the most famous cartoon strip in history, the Bayeux Tapestry, describe the events prior to and during the Conquest? What was the local impact of the Normans in Nottingham and Lincoln? How did our Laws, Fashions and Language change? Does Henry I’s daughter, Empress Maud AKA Matilda, deserve her awful reputation?
Beginning with the background to one of England’s most controversial figures, William the Conqueror, Join Dr Barnard to explore three other intriguing Norman Rulers and how England was transformed Politically, architecturally, Militarily & Culturally
The Normans Impact and Legacy
The Normans Impact and Legacy
Kill or Cure! Bygone Medicine
Join Chris Weir for a journey into this course will Bygone Medicine will highlight many aspects of the history of Medicine. It will take a look at the Greek belief in the 4 ‘humours’. These were believed to determine both your personality and your health; and this belief lasted for many centuries. In later times there were individual physicians who pioneered the development of surgery, medical treatments and the value of herbs. These included Erasmus Darwin who was born in 1731 at Elston Hall in Nottinghamshire. In Holland pioneers like Herman Boerhaave led improvements to surgical techniques and they founded the influential medical school at Leiden University. The impact of the Plague, Cholera and other epidemics on villages and towns will also be considered as well as Medicine under the local poor law, in workhouses and early Hospitals.
Please note that parts of the course look at surgical details and symptoms of mental and physical illnesses.
Kill or Cure! Bygone Medicine
🎬 Citizen Kane (1941): Genius, Innovation & Legacy
At just twenty-five years old, Orson Welles achieved what many still consider one of the greatest feats in cinema history. With little experience beyond theatre and radio, he wrote, directed, and starred in Citizen Kane — a film that redefined what cinema could do.
This short course explores why Citizen Kane remains so groundbreaking, and how its innovations still influence filmmakers today.
We’ll look at:
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The techniques Welles used — deep focus, dramatic lighting, and inventive camera angles
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The inspiration he drew from earlier directors, and how he made their ideas entirely his own
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The film’s satirical bite, its controversial subject matter, and the myths surrounding its production
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The remarkable performances of Welles’ Mercury Theatre troupe
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His later career and the creative risks that followed his early success
More than eighty years later, Citizen Kane still astonishes for its technical mastery, emotional depth, and fearless storytelling. Join us as we explore how a young visionary reshaped cinema — forever.
Bizets Carmen
🎭 Carmen and the Paris that Rejected Her
It’s hard to believe now, but the first performances of Bizet’s Carmen in Paris in 1875 were poorly received by both audiences and critics. The composer was devastated, writing that Parisians had “not understood a wretched word of the work I have written for them.” He died just a few weeks later, never knowing that Carmen would become one of the most beloved and frequently performed operas in the world.
This course explores the remarkable story of Carmen’s troubled beginnings and the social and artistic climate of Paris in the 1870s, which seemed stacked against Bizet from the start.
We’ll look at:
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The cultural conservatism of the Parisian opera scene and its
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hostility to innovation
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Bizet’s personal struggles to win over both critics and audiences
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The few courageous figures who supported him — including Hector Berlioz and Léon Carvalho
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How Carmen’s realism, energy, and tragic heroine challenged expectations of the time
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The gradual rediscovery of Bizet’s genius after his untimely death
Through music, history, and discussion, we’ll trace how a work once dismissed as shocking and unrefined became a symbol of artistic courage, passion, and transformation.
🏺 Tutankhamun
and the Man Who Found Him
This course examines the remarkable story behind one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time — the finding of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922.
We’ll look at the man at the centre of the story, Howard Carter — his determined (and sometimes difficult) personality, his partnership with Lord Carnarvon, and the challenges and controversies surrounding his work. Despite his reputation for being obstinate, Carter was already a respected archaeologist before his discovery, having spent years working on Egyptian sites with considerable success.
We’ll explore:
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Carter’s life and career before Tutankhamun
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His working relationship with Lord Carnarvon
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The historical background of early 20th-century archaeology
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The treasures of the tomb and why they survived when others did not
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The media sensation that followed the discovery
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The myths and mysteries surrounding “The Curse of Tutankhamun”
We’ll also consider how Carter’s methods — seen as pioneering in his time — might be judged differently today. Above all, we’ll trace how this single discovery captured the world’s imagination and reshaped our understanding of Ancient Egypt.
🩺 Healing the Wounded: The Story of Great War Hospitals
During the First World War, the British Army lost around 877,000 men and a further 1.6 million were wounded. Despite elaborate medical preparations, the system was frequently overwhelmed by the sheer scale of casualties — especially during major battles such as the Somme (1916) and Passchendaele (1917).
This course explores how the military and civilian medical services rose to meet this enormous challenge. We’ll trace the journey of wounded soldiers from the front line to recovery, following their path through:
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Regimental Aid Posts and Dressing Stations, where first aid was given
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Casualty Clearing Stations, dealing with the severely injured
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Auxiliary Hospitals across Britain, including the first in Nottinghamshire at Arnot Hill House in Arnold
We’ll discover the crucial role of doctors, nurses, volunteers and local communities in caring for those who returned home, and how their work transformed both medicine and attitudes toward rehabilitation and post-war care.
This is the story of compassion and courage behind the lines — the unsung contribution of Great War hospitals and the people who ran them.
✈️ Unsung Wings: The Forgotten Allied Air Forces of World War II
During the Second World War, the air forces of the major Allied nations expanded at an enormous rate — but they were far from alone in the skies. Dozens of smaller nations also contributed aircraft, personnel and entire formations to the Allied war effort. Though often overlooked, these small but significant air arms played vital roles across Africa, Asia, the Far East and Europe.
This course tells the story of the hundreds of air units, squadrons, crews and support teams whose courage and skill helped shape the outcome of the war. From reconnaissance flights and transport missions to frontline combat operations, these men and women made a remarkable contribution to the eventual Allied victory.
We will explore:
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The lesser-known air forces who fought alongside Britain, the USA and the Commonwealth
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Their aircraft, training, missions and operational challenges
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Personal stories of pilots and ground crews whose names rarely appear in history books
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The global spread of Allied air cooperation — from East Africa to Burma, from the Mediterranean to the Pacific
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Why these units became “forgotten” and how their legacy is preserved today
A powerful look at the unsung wings of the Allied war effort, and the people who made a difference far from the spotlight.
🏛️ 18th-Century Nottingham: A City in Transformation
The 18th century was a period of dramatic change for Nottingham. What had long been a predominantly agricultural region began its rapid transition toward an industrial society, shaped by new technologies, shifting work patterns and growing urbanisation.
But these developments did not happen in isolation. The century was marked by extreme weather, rising food prices, international conflict and political unrest, all of which placed huge strain on local communities — and, in many cases, accelerated the pace of change.
Join Bob as he explores the key events of this turbulent century, both in Nottingham and beyond. We’ll look at:
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How global wars affected local life
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Moments of crisis — and the ways people attempted to solve them
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The early forces of industrialisation and how they changed work forever
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Social challenges, protest and adaptation
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The foundations of systems, habits and industries that still shape society today
A fascinating look at how Nottingham — and the wider world — was reshaped during one of the most transformative centuries in history.
🌍 1979: Year Zero in the Middle East
1979 was a watershed year — a moment when multiple crises erupted at once and reshaped the entire Middle East. In this course, David traces the toxic combination of events that unfolded that year and triggered decades of upheaval, rivalry and transformation across the Muslim world.
We will explore:
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The fall of the Shah of Iran and the birth of the Islamic Republic
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The siege of Mecca and the shockwaves it sent through the region
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The Soviet invasion of Afghanistan, and how it drew global powers deeper into the region’s struggles
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The rise of Iran–Saudi rivalry for leadership of the Islamic world
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The cultural, social and religious shifts that followed
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The personalities, ideologies and forces that redefined the modern Middle East
This seven-week course is ideal for anyone seeking to understand the key events and long-term consequences that shaped today’s Middle Eastern politics, identities and conflicts.
Wisdom is not a product of schooling but of the lifelong attempt to acquire it.” — Albert Einstein