Christ's Hospital
Join us for an hour with…..
Over the coming weeks we are delighted to be hosting a programme of virtual live talks from a collection of Old Blues on a variety of great topics.
The talks will be streamed via Zoom and there will also be the opportunity to put your questions to our speakers at the end.
Register for any of the talks you are interested in, you will then receive an email reminder and the link to join the talk in advance of the day.
Whither Nature? A look at our relationship with nature
17 March – 1pm
Matthew Oates – LhB 63-72
Naturalist Matthew writes the Nature Notebook in The Times and is the author of several books.
Before retiring in 2018, he was the National Trust’s Specialist on Nature and had a long career in nature conservation, primarily as a specialist in grazing ecology. He is actively involved in the rewilding project at Knepp Castle Estate, just down the road from CH.
Matthew will be a talking about how our relationship with nature and the great outdoors is changing, from both science and arts perspectives.
The lockdowns caused a tidal wave of people seeking access to the outdoors. To many, it was a homecoming. This is happening at a time of rapid climate change and massive biodiversity decline. Change is the norm. What next? We’re all in this show together. Let’s talk it through…
Leveraging the power of Networking to change careers
Monday 22 March – 1pm
Tracey Abayeta – GrW 02-04
After spending the first 6 years of her career as an investment banker, Tracey worked within a diversity charity (SEO London) where she supported hundreds of students from underrepresented backgrounds break into investment banking and asset management. Her notable contribution to increasing diversity in the workplace includes the origination of SEO London’s unique female leadership programme HerCapital, where the objective was to champion gender equality in the workplace. Tracey also has experience within Graduate Recruitment and supporting firms to establish a range of diversity initiatives.
As a certified coach, Tracey will be inspiring participants to invest more in their relationships and strategically leverage them to pivot in your career. She is a firm believer that networking and increasing your visibility can position you for your next opportunity.
Tracey founded Opportunity Central while on maternity leave in 2019 and uses this as a platform to promote career related opportunities for BAME students and/or low socioeconomic backgrounds.
That’s the Spirit! A Taste of a Small Batch Distillery
Wednesday 31st March – 7pm
Tony Brotherton – PeB, PeA 87-94
Having spent most of his Army career based in North Yorkshire, Tony and his family settled in a small village on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales and established Yorkshire Dales Distillery in April 2016. Their passion for handcrafted quality spirits is born from a longstanding family love for, and work within the industry.
Tony and Sarah Brotherton create, develop, distil and bottle premium craft spirits. Pursuing technical excellence in distillation, producing in very small batches using traditional techniques and using local botanicals and a unique ancient mineral water from Swaledale.
Tony will be welcoming you on a virtual tour of his distillery and show how he crafts his Gin, Vodka and Rum, plus he will be giving some tips about how to best mix your spirits!
Mental Health – Mindfulness as a therapy for anxiety and depression
Friday 9th April – 1pm
Monique Maroney – 3’s 75-79
Monique has worked as a psychotherapist specialising in CBT and mindfulness in the NHS and also providing consultations & workshops on these approaches. She has worked in higher education for a number of years as well as running her own therapy practice.
Monique has worked with UCL researching ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy) for GAD (Generalised Anxiety Disorder) and within the prison system, adapting mindfulness courses for the prison population. She is an associate of the Royal Society Of Medicine.
Monique will be talking about the origins of mindfulness, the part it plays in the NHS and communities and how the course is being adapted for specific populations. Please note this will include a (gentle) experiential element, of trying out a short mindfulness practice lasting around 20 minutes, so people should attend with loose clothing.
Bletchley Park – Home of the Codebreakers
Wednesday 14th April – 1pm
Colonel Iain Standen – PeA 74-81
Iain started work as the CEO of the Bletchley Park Trust in January 2012, after 28 years as a commissioned officer in the British Army. He commanded at every rank from Lieutenant to Colonel, working in both the communications and intelligence fields.
Hear how Bletchley was the home of British World War Two codebreaking; a place where technological innovation and human endeavour came together to make ground breaking achievements that have helped shape the world we live in today.
Learn how the Bletchley Park Trust works to continue to keep this place of exceptional historical importance open to visitors.
The Welchman-Turing Bombe – Breaking Enigma
Tuesday 20th April – 1pm
Paul Kellar MBE – LaB 57-66
Paul is a leading member of the restoration project that rebuilt, maintains and runs the famous code-breaking Welchman-Turing Bombe machine, housed at The National Museum of Computing at Bletchley Park.
Turing’s singular advances in mathematics and computing enabled Bletchley Park cryptographers to break the German’s “Enigma” codes on a daily basis. The machine, reconstructed by this team, has been proven correct in numerous tests carried out by the modern-day GCHQ.
Paul will give an insight into how Nazi Germany used Enigma during WWII, the development of the Welchman-Turing Bombe and how it enabled the Allies to exploit Enigma-enciphered messages as a major source of intelligence, and the work of the Bombe restoration team at TNMOC.