Sonia Purnell First Lady: The Life and Wars of Clementine Churchill Friday 18th November, 7.45pm St Peter’s Church, Oundle, PE8 4AL
Without Churchill’s inspiring leadership Britain could not have survived its darkest hour and repelled the Nazi menace. Without his wife Clementine, however, he might never have become Prime Minister. By his own admission, the Second World War would have been ‘impossible without her’.
Clementine was Winston’s emotional rock and his most trusted confidante; not only was she involved in some of the most crucial decisions of war, but she exerted an influence over her husband and the Government that would appear scandalous to modern eyes. Yet her ability to charm Britain’s allies and her humanitarian efforts on the Home Front earned her deep respect, both behind closed doors in Whitehall and among the population at large. Her dedication to his cause may have had tragic consequences for their children, but theirs was a marriage that changed the course of history.
Now, acclaimed biographer Sonia Purnell explores the peculiar dynamics of this fascinating union. From the personal and political upheavals of the Great War, through the Churchills’ ‘wilderness years’ in the 1930s, to Clementine’s desperate efforts to preserve her husband’s health during the struggle against Hitler, Sonia presents the inspiring but often ignored story of one of the most important women in modern history.
£1 off early bird tickets bought before 11th November from the Oundle Box Office.
Belinda Bauer: The Beautiful Dead Tuesday 6th December, 7.45pm St Peter’s Church, Oundle, PE8 4AL
Come and hear about the highly anticipated and extraordinary new crime novel from Belinda Bauer, twice winner of Crime Novelist of the Year. The Beautiful Dead is Belinda’s seventh book.
Eve Singer needs death. With her career as a TV crime reporter flagging and increasing pressures at home, she’ll do anything to satisfy her ghoulish audience. Her career is built on the bones of the dead; her one aim to secure that perfect shot of the body bag. And luckily for Eve, there is a serial killer at work in London… The killer needs death too. He sees beauty in death and revels in watching his victims take their final breath. For the killer, the line between artist and executioner is irrevocably blurred. He even advertises his macabre public performances, inviting the public to see his ‘show’.
When he contacts Eve and offers her unpresented access to his plans, she welcomes the chance to be first with the news from every gory scene. Until she realizes that the killer has two obsessions: One is public murder, and the other one is her . . .
£1 off early bird tickets bought before 29th November from the Oundle Box Office. Tickets £8, conc. £6, from the Oundle Box Office, 4 New Street, Oundle, open Mon-Fri 10am to 4pm on 01832 274734 or at www.oundlefestival.org.uk
Any queries, call Helen on 07743 988 181 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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