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The Bayeux Tapestry

  • The Arts Centre helmsley (map)

There is far more to be discovered about the Bayeux Tapestry than could ever be covered in one lecture. Who made it, where and why are the most frequently asked questions – although they might also be seen as less important beside the information the tapestry itself offers us. It is not just a narrative of the most famous battle in English history, but also of the build-up to it. It is a moral story showing that good cannot come to those who break their word. It is a story of kings, chivalry and ambition. Intriguingly, many crucial events are omitted and we can only speculate as to why. The tapestry itself is woven from only 10 different colours on linen, but remains as vibrant today as it must have been 900 years ago. The lecture looks at many of the scenes in detail and explores what might be learned from this depiction of a turning point in our history.

Imogen Corrigan

Imogen served for nearly twenty years in the British army, retiring in the rank of Major at the end of 1994. She then went to the University of Kent to study Anglo-Saxon and Medieval history and art, graduating with 1st Class Honours. She became a freelance lecturer, running study tours for several travel companies and lecturing for the Arts Society and Noble Caledonia.

She has a wide range of lecture subjects encompassing most of Europe from the west of Ireland to Istanbul, and from North Cape to Morocco, covering 1,000 years of history. Imogen is always interested in ideas, artistic techniques and motifs travelling and especially in trying to understand the mind-set of the people who lived at that time.