Dauntsey’s School Announces 2018/19 Line-Up for Mercers’ Lecture Series

Dauntsey’s has announced another impressive line-up of speakers for the 2018/19 programme of its renowned Mercers’ Lecture series. The Mercers’ Lectures are named in recognition of the links between Dauntsey’s and the Mercers’ Company, which go back to Mercer founder Alderman William Dauntsey, Master of the Worshipful Company of Mercers, who founded the School in West Lavington in 1542.

This year’s speakers are:

• Monty Halls – a former Royal Marines Officer who worked for Nelson Mandela during the peace process in the early 1990s. He is best known for his three BBC2 series Great Escapes, where he lived on the west coast of Scotland and Ireland with his dog Reuben. He also presented the award-winning series Great Barrier Reef.
• Libby Jackson – manages the Human Spaceflight and Microgravity programmes at the UK Space Agency, and previously led the hugely successful education programme that supported Sir Tim Peake’s flight.
• Dr David Starkey – one of Britain’s leading historians. He is the author of many books; has guest curated several major historical exhibitions and made some of the most important and widely watched historical documentary series on TV.
• Dr Lucy Worsley – currently Chief Curator at the Historic Royal Palaces. She is passionate about making history engaging to the widest possible audience and is well known as the presenter of a number of BBC TV series, including most recently, Suffragettes with Lucy Worsley.
• Frank Gardner – the BBC’s security correspondent, reporting on issues of both domestic and international importance. A fluent Arabist with a degree in Arabic and Islamic studies from Exeter University, In 2004, while reporting in Saudi Arabia, he was shot and left partly paralysed in an attack by al-Qaeda terrorists. Now dependent on a wheelchair, he has relearned to ski using a bob ski and is currently President of the Ski Club of Great Britain.
• Eddie ‘The Eagle’ Edwards – Great Britain’s first Olympic Ski Jumper. He was ranked 55th in the world which qualified him as the only GB applicant for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary. He competed in the 70m and 90m jump events but came last in both. Although he did not win an Olympic medal, he became famous for his pure determination and ‘have a go’ attitude. A film about his life was released in 2016.

Jo Sagers, Registrar at Dauntsey’s, said:

‘The Mercers’ Lectures are central to encouraging our pupils to engage with the outside world and think beyond the confines of their academic curriculum.

‘This year we look forward to welcoming a diverse range of eminent speakers covering sport, international affairs, history, adventure and science. This year’s lecture series will be a highlight for the School and, I hope, for our local community.’

All lectures commence at 7.30pm and will be held in either the Memorial Hall or the new Pavilion; please check on the School website on the day of the event.

Everyone is welcome to the Lectures and entry is free, but please reserve your seats online: http://www.dauntseys.org or by contacting the School on 01380 814500.

(Please note that bookings for lectures taking place in 2019 will open in November.)