ROBERT TRESSELL FESTIVAL, 11-12TH JUNE, 2005

Saturday, 11th June

10.30. Hall opens for refreshments

11.00. Official opening by Pam Brown, Mayor of Hastings

11.15. Talk on 'Annotating Tressell: In search of Sir Graball." given by Peter Miles, University of Wales, editor of the forthcoming Oxford University Press edition of The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists.

12.15. Brion Purdey, popular local Hastings historian on the General Election of 1945 in Hastings.

13.00 Lunch

13.45 Visit to Hastings Museum to view Tressell artefacts.

15.00 Well known man of letters and socialist historian, Keith Flett speaking on 'The Origins of Socialism in Europe, and the Politics of Robert Tressell'.

16.00 Break for tea

16.30 Mike Smith-Rawnsley on the role of women characters in the Ragged Trousered Philanthropists.

Pauline Bradley, singer, songwriter, sings her own brand of socialist songs - talking to Susannah

Sunday, 12th June

10.30. Hall opens for refreshments.

11.00 Tristram Hunt, Guardian writer and commentator, recently editor of the new Penguin edition of The Ragged Trousered Philanthropists.

12.30. Lunch

15.15. Assemble to join start of Robert Tressell walk round sites in Hastings with Dr Trevor Hopper from Brighton University, and author of Robert Tressell’s Hastings.
The walk will end at Ladies Parlour on Hastings West Hill, where we will enjoy a birds-eye history of Hastings with local historian and journalist, Steve Peak.

The rest of the day was spent by another visit to Hastings Museum, and gathering at the Concordia Hall for discussion and ideas for forthcoming festivals