Peterborough, England, April 2014

The George Borrow Society are meeting for the Conference 2014 at The Bull Hotel, Peterborough, 11th–13th April 2014. Our final programme is given below — looking forward to seeing you all there.

Programme

Friday 11th April

from 7.30 pm

Informal gathering in The Bull Hotel bar

Saturday 12th April

Presentations in The Festival Suite, The Bull Hotel.

9.30 – 10.00

Registration

10.00

David Nuttall, in collaboration with Sharon Floate - The 1811 Overture - being an introductory Account of George Borrow, John Clare and various Gypsies in this year of the Napoleonic War.

10.45

Coffee

11.00

George Hyde - The Sapengro Episode in Lavengro. Borrowing a Snake examines two episodes in Lavengro in which snakes feature. It tries to unpack some of their symbolism.

11.45

Clive Wilkins-Jones - George Borrow, the Gypsylorists and the Third Reich.  The extent of Borrow's knowledge of the romani language has been questioned, as has the extent of his contacts with romany gypsies (if such a people exist). Even though his status in the pantheon of romani scholars is contested, he (along with his successors, the so-called gypsylorists) is said to have influenced the eugenicists in Hitlerite Germany by helping to construct a racist view of romany gypsies (again, if romany gypsies are not a myth).

12.30

Questions

1.00

Session finishes

Afternoon free for visits to The Cathedral and Peterborough Museum both short walks from the Hotel.

Please Note:  The Cathedral closes at 3.00 pm.  The Museum closes at 5.00 pm.

The Museum (free admission) is in an historic building in Priestgate, and includes good exhibitions about Norman Cross and the history of Peterborough as well as a Victorian operating theatre!

6.45 pm

Drinks reception & launch of Lavengro Press in the Lincoln Suite, The Bull Hotel.

7.30 pm

Conference Dinner in the Lincoln Suite, The Bull Hotel

Sunday 13th April

9.30

Coach leaves The Bull Hotel

10.00

Norman Cross and the old prisoner of war site – guided talk and coffee

12.00

Coach to Yaxley via Whittlesey Mere nature reserve

12.30 – 2.00

Lunch at The Farmers Public House, Yaxley – carvery/grill (not included in conference fee)

2.00

Coach to Spalding

2.45

Boswell’s Romany Museum – guided talk and tea

4.45

Coach to Peterborough

5.30 (approximately)

Return to The Bull Hotel

 

And then that’s the end of the conference.