Tea and Talk

Listen to a free talk from an expert on a different topic each month, have a cup of tea and a snack, and chat with like-minded people.

Wednesday 26 November

The Butler’s Pantry - Adam Toole

Join us this month to hear from Adam Toole, the curator of Decorative Arts at Temple Newsam and Leeds Museums and Galleries to hear about how the Butler’s Pantry restoration project that opened to the public in the Spring of 2025.

Wednesday 10 December

Sculpture at Temple Newsam - Clare Nadal

Clare Nadal, our assistant curator of sculpture, talks about Temple Newsam’s era as Leeds’s Art Gallery during World War II and how this has provided the impetus for the sculpture exhibition that will be opening at Temple Newsam in 2026. 

28 Jan 2026

Victor Hawkins - The Great Sale of Wetherby

The Great Sale of Wetherby, by the sixth Duke of Devonshire, took place over a four day period beginning on 12 October 1824 in the Old Town Hall in Wetherby. In the first two days the town itself was sold as individual items, and the last two sold the surrounding lands and farms. In four days Wetherby changed from a town of tenants to a town of property owners.

The talk will include some interesting individual sales and how they relate even today. 
Why was Wetherby owned by the Duke of Devonshire and what was the history leading up to the sale, why did he want to sell the town, and how much did he eventually make from the sale?

The history includes the Vikings, clashes between the Crown and previous Owners, and various Civil uprisings and battles. Wetherby does indeed have a very colourful past and history.

25 Feb 2026 - Clare Crossdale - Remember Barnbow
25 Mar 2025 - George Gale - A beginner’s guide to researching your family tree
29 Apr 2026 - Rebecca Royce/James Skipper - White Rose Forest – community forest for the North and West Yorkshire
28 May 2026 - Natalie Raw & Textile volunteers - Temple Newsam textile archive research project
24 June 2026 - Gloria Hanley - A former midwife’s personal journey
29 Jul 2026 - Mike Turpin/Jim Jackson - South Leeds Archaeology Group’s excavation at Temple Newsam and Capability Brown’s Garden
26 Aug 2026 - Dr Mark Westgarth - Antique Dealers and Museums – curating the art market in museums
30 Sep 2026 - Dr Amy Saunders - Representing Stuart Kings and Queens in Heritage Sites 
21 Oct 2026 - Catherine Robins & Sporting volunteers - #DYC On the pitch, off the pitch – Collecting Sport in Leeds
25 Nov 2026 - Dr Henry Irving - Talking Rubbish at Temple Newsam
16 Dec 2026 - Jane Ellis - Do you remember the old cinemas of Leeds?