Ben England BEM is an award-winning musician and educator, whose innovative work with online choirs is setting new directions for choral music globally.

He started both Choir of the Earth and Homechoir during the COVID-19 pandemic and has since led choirs of thousands in performances of the great classical works, as well as developing techniques to bring music and a sense of community to those in isolation around the world.

He is demand around the world to lead choirs and orchestras, and has worked with some of the industry’s finest musicians and ensembles, recently as a chorus master for the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra under Sir Mark Elder, and alongside great composers such as John Rutter CBE and Patrick Hawes.

His contribution to choral music and the community was recognised by Queen Elizabeth II in her birthday Honours 2020, when he was awarded the British Empire Medal as one of 400 ‘COVID heroes’ nationally. He has since been commended by the Royal Philharmonic Society for an outstanding contribution to music, nominated for the ‘Inspiration’ award at the Music and Drama Education awards 2022 and was awarded the 2022 Alumni Award for Community Impact and Engagement by the University of Bristol (his alma mater).

Ben lives and works in South Gloucestershire, is married and has two wonderful (musical) children.

Karen Zold is 65, a speaker and lecturer and lives in Portishead near Bristol. She has a degree from Bristol University in Archaeology as well as a Teaching Degree from The University of the West of England. She is an experienced Presentation Speaker and currently an Adult Education Teacher in Art.  

Over the last 10 years (since retirement) she has spoken at many small and large formal/informal groups (including events at the National Trust) on a wide range of topics Including: Art, Art History, Anthropology, Archaeology, Biographies, Crime, Ghosts, History/Social History, Folklore, Literature, Sci-Fi, Technology just to name a few!

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In her spare time, she likes to paint and draw and works as a Volunteer at her local National Trust property (Tyntesfield, Wraxall).  Her main interests however, are keeping abreast of all things Anthropological and Archaeological.

Prof. Anne Anderson FSA was a senior lecturer at Southampton Solent University for fourteen years. She went on to curate four national exhibitions, most recently Beyond the Brotherhood: the Pre-Raphaelite Legacy (2020).

Her most recent book, published in 2020, is Art Nouveau Architecture (Crowood).  Anne has also published over a hundred academic papers in internationally recognised journals.

Laurie Peter is an Emeritus Professor from the University of Bath, where he has been Head of Department. He has a lifelong interest in how light can make interesting chemistry happen, and his research group has worked on different kinds of solar cells.

Although retired, he is still scientifically active, combining a continuing interest in science with baking sourdough bread, growing vegetables on an allotment, tutoring GCSE students and learning foreign languages.

Megan has an MA in Soviet Studies and has taught at various universities in Russia and Ukraine. Most of her working life has been spent on social inclusion projects for those on the periphery of society and community cohesion for those living close to borders.

Megan has worked on projects such as access to healthcare and social welfare, women’s rights, trades unions, elections, agriculture and civil society in the remote Tajik/Afghan borders and the convoluted multi-ethnic Ferghana Valley.

Andrew Bazeley and his skill at conveying the sound and the spirit of the old acoustic blues have drawn gasps of admiration wherever he plays: whether it’s the Son House/Charley Patton slide style (played on an authentic 1929 National) or the melodic fingerpicking style of players like Willie McTell and Robert Johnson (on his 1918 Gibson).

But his range is broader: the hokum songs from Bill Broonzy and Memphis Jug Band can be heard alongside the likes of Hoagy Carmichael and even the soul classics of Marvin Gaye and Smokey Robinson. He’ s even been known to include The Who and some reggae in his set!

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He’s shared his passion for and knowledge of the blues with hundreds of eager students over the years: from forty-minute talks for school groups to a full 8-session lecture series for WEA students. While normally focusing on aspects of blues history and music, he has also covered The History of the Guitar, using his own collection as illustrations.

He has also been in great demand from intermediate players, who want to develop their basic skills and learn more about acoustic blues and bottleneck styles, fingerpicking, slide and blues techniques

www.andrewbazeley.com

Scientist turned sewist because never having had the opportunity to sew at school and having no family members who were interested, I first took up sewing out of necessity in my 20’s, after moving to Texas and finding that I did not like the quality of clothing available there.

Dressmaking eventually morphed into quilt making but after running out of things to do with all the quilts I was making, I discovered the world of bag making; you can never have too many bags!

Mark Cottle was born on the Isles of Scilly and educated at Truro School in Cornwall and Birmingham University.  He has spent his career, at home and abroad, in teaching, training and lecturing.

Paul Chapman is an Art Historian and a National Gallery trained guide with many years of experience working in education.

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As a freelance Paul delivers courses and lectures for a wide range of educational organisations including NADFAS, WEA and U3A.

Paul has also given talks and tours for art associations/societies and is a guest speaker in local schools giving talks and assisting pupils with their art history projects.

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Paul has a long standing commitment, in conjunction with the National Gallery as a tour guide at the Longford Castle art collection and he is also tutor at MCSS.

Joanna is an independent art historian, retired history teacher, and member of the Association for Art History. She holds a B.Ed. degree, an MA with distinction in History of Art from Birkbeck College, University of London, and will be resuming work on her PhD thesis in 2019 at Exeter University.

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Since moving to Somerset in early 2015 she has been invited to present lectures, talks and study days at Dillington House, the Wells Film Centre, Wells Cathedral School, and for the U3A, the WEA, and the Western Front Association. Central to Joanna’s approach to art history is an understanding of the context in which works of art were produced and experienced. This includes an awareness of social, political, cultural and economic factors.

Her lectures and day courses are accompanied by extracts from music and literature of the periods in question. This interdisciplinary approach is not only in line with much of recent art historical scholarship but also aims to open up the ‘bigger picture’ for those attending.

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Between 2017 and 2018 Joanna also ran the U3A film club in Glastonbury and, now a keen gardener, she opens her garden in support of the National Gardens Scheme and St. Margaret’s Hospice.

Dr Jan D. Cox was awarded a PhD in History of Art from the University of Leeds in 2014, where he specialised in 19th century Nordic art. He shares his interests between this topic and British art of the early 20th century.

At Oxford Brookes University, Jan was awarded the Jeanne Sheehy Memorial Prize for work on Christopher Wood, an MA at Bristol followed, where his studies focused on John Minton, Keith Vaughan and British Neo-Romanticism. Subsequently, at the University of Plymouth, he placed online Wyndham Lewis’s art criticism in ‘The Listener’ magazine (1946-51). He has contributed chapters and articles to a number of books and journals.

Dr Jane Crozier holds several degrees in English and American Literature. She spent much of her career teaching adults in Further Education, also working as a visiting Tutor at the Institute of Education and as a Research Fellow at Queen Mary, University of London.

When she moved to Somerset fifteen years ago, she had the time to create courses for adults that follow her particular interests, including the literature of landscape, pioneer women writers and the campaigns for women’s suffrage. She now teaches freelance.

Dr Greta Depledge has a BA (Hons) in English Literature, an MA in Victorian Studies and a PhD (Female maladies, medical practice and literary culture 1860-1900), awarded by Birkbeck College, University of London.

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Greta has many years experience in teaching, tutoring and lecturing roles in a wide range of HE and FE establishments.   She delivers meticulously prepared courses with enthusiasm in an atmosphere that is relaxed and cheerful whilst intellectually challenging.  She presents her research at public lectures and at academic conferences.

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Greta has worked as a Visiting Lecturer and Teaching Fellow in the Department of English at Royal Holloway, University of London, as an Associate Tutor for the Open University, as a Visiting Tutor for the Centre for Continuing Education at Reading University and at the Faculty for Lifelong Learning at Birkbeck College, University of London and as a Tutor for the WEA.​

Further publications and details of conference presentations and public lectures can be found at www.drgretadepledge.weebly.com

Dr Jo Edwards is an independent Historian currently researching the life and work of Hannah More.  She also teaches History and leads the Education team at Nailsea Tithe Barn.  Jo is a senior examiner for national and international qualifications.

Following academic qualifications in biological and physical sciences at Degree and Higher Degree level, and spending several years on an isolated Antarctic Research Station, my appetite for asking: “How does that work?” and “How do we know what is true”, has taken me on a marvellous journey of lifelong learning.

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On retirement from enlightening students, I organised international conferences on astrophysics and co-authored books on the most fundamental states of physical matter; translated and published Ukrainian archaeology on the world’s first known civilisation; convened science and medicine programmes at Bath Royal Literary & Scientific Institution, and have given presentations on the microcosm and macrocosm to U3A students of all ages.

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My present research interests centre on microcurrent electro-therapy and the environmental hazards of electromagnetic radiation. Only through understanding how electric charge is the source of all vitality can we begin to understand the chemical origin of Life itself ... and what comes next!

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Tim presently lives in Wells, following decades of living in Clevedon and Wraxall.

Hello my name is Heidi, I run a small business called Heartfelt by Heidi, based in Weston-super-Mare.  I run Needle Felting Workshops and make and sell bespoke felt characters, gifts, kits and felting items.

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I started Needle Felting in 2014 and fell in love with this simple but mesmerising craft form.  I was keen to share my passion and pass on my knowledge, so began teaching in 2016.  I now have a regular following of lovely folk, who too have been enchanted by this fun, relaxing and rewarding craft form.

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Whether I am running a workshop or making a special gift, I always throw my heart and soul into it, the aim of giving you a positive, fun rewarding experience and ultimately putting a smile on your face!

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I very much look forward to working with Casa.

Please feel free to have a look at my website to see some other examples of my work

heartfeltbyheidi

Although interested in old buildings from an early age, it was not until doing a BA in Fine Art Valuation that I became more aware of medieval art and architecture.

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After retirement from the NHS, sufficient time became available to study architectural history in more depth. So the last six years have been spent sitting at the feet of numerous experts in the field and hopefully some knowledge will have rubbed off.

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Recently completed a year-long Post-Graduate Certificate in Architectural History at Oxford, which gave further insights into the subject. However continue to attend courses, seminars and study days on a regular basis and membership of The Society of Architectural Historians of Great Britain provides further opportunities to do this.

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Have worked for Cardiff University Lifelong Learning and an organisation called Classical Education Forum (also in Cardiff) over last few years. However I am increasingly involved in the study of Natural History and have developed an unfortunate habit of foraging for wild food.

Kathryn Ferry has a PhD in architectural history from the University of Cambridge and now works as an independent historian, author and lecturer.

She has published widely on seaside subjects and is an expert on architecture and design from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

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She is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, a past trustee of the National Piers Society and a founder member of the Seaside Heritage Network.

Kathryn’s books include titles on beach huts, bungalows and the official history of Butlin’s. Her latest publication is Twentieth Century Seaside Architecture (Batsford, 2025). Kathryn is a regular contributor to television, radio and podcasts.

Dr Christophe Fricker teaches German and Translation at the University of Bristol. His work is mainly about the role of language in the life of communities, from political to literary. He has a decade of experience as executive of a research and consultancy firm and has been teaching at universities in Canada, the US and the UK for twice that time.

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Christophe studied Politics and German literature once on (nearly) every continent; including three years (marked by relentless drizzle) at Oxford.  Christophe is a prize-winning author, editor, and translator of nearly thirty books on a wide range of issues around language and communities. One of his own favourites is his book of 111 reasons to love England.

With an MA in medieval history and a PG diploma in Heritage Management and Interpretation, Ruth has worked in the heritage sector for thirty years, initially with the National Trust (Knole, Shaw’s Corner, Standen and Tyntesfield) before becoming self-employed in 2010. Most of her projects are in the south west and have included the Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol Beacon, St George’s, Underfall Yard, Bishop’s Palace in Wells, Glastonbury Abbey, St Mary Magdalene church in Paddington, Tamar bridges and the Curzon. 

Having grown up in a house where you didn’t have idle hands, I have always sewn. Over the years this has been dressmaking, (very limited) soft furnishings, cross stitch, tapestry, blackwork and I have finally found my sewing true love – patchwork and quilting. Having completed my P & Q City & Guilds Certificate I started to teach P & Q classes to help with my mission of getting the world quilting.
Some of my work can be seen on my website www.annspandq.co.uk

John is a chartered aerospace engineer educated in Bristol and Cranfield. His career included Concorde, the Beagle 2 Mars lander and several Airbus projects, on which he was a transnational manager of UK, French, German and Spanish staff, retiring in 2010.

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He was closely involved in the early days of computer aided design, and obtained his doctorate in robotics from the Open University in 2007.

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After retirement John ran his own aerospace consultancy business, during which time he was a Visiting Fellow and ‘Recognised Teacher’ at Cranfield University, supporting the teaching staff and graduate students in developing the design of satellites and satellite equipment.

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John’s interest in genealogy is purely that of an enthusiastic amateur, his experience of the topic spanning over 30 years. During that time the subject has evolved hugely with far greater accessibility of data via the internet. John has also gained experience of dealing with the College of Arms in London.

John has experience of being on the receiving end of several CASA and WEA courses (in bead-work and early European history).

John is a chartered aerospace engineer educated in Bristol and Cranfield. His career included Concorde, the Beagle 2 Mars lander and several Airbus projects, on which he was a transnational manager of UK, French, German and Spanish staff, retiring in 2010.

​

He was closely involved in the early days of computer aided design, and obtained his doctorate in robotics from the Open University in 2007.

​

After retirement John ran his own aerospace consultancy business, during which time he was a Visiting Fellow and ‘Recognised Teacher’ at Cranfield University, supporting the teaching staff and graduate students in developing the design of satellites and satellite equipment.

​

John’s interest in genealogy is purely that of an enthusiastic amateur, his experience of the topic spanning over 30 years. During that time the subject has evolved hugely with far greater accessibility of data via the internet. John has also gained experience of dealing with the College of Arms in London.

John has experience of being on the receiving end of several CASA and WEA courses (in bead-work and early European history).

John is a chartered aerospace engineer educated in Bristol and Cranfield. His career included Concorde, the Beagle 2 Mars lander and several Airbus projects, on which he was a transnational manager of UK, French, German and Spanish staff, retiring in 2010.

​

He was closely involved in the early days of computer aided design, and obtained his doctorate in robotics from the Open University in 2007.

​

After retirement John ran his own aerospace consultancy business, during which time he was a Visiting Fellow and ‘Recognised Teacher’ at Cranfield University, supporting the teaching staff and graduate students in developing the design of satellites and satellite equipment.

​

John’s interest in genealogy is purely that of an enthusiastic amateur, his experience of the topic spanning over 30 years. During that time the subject has evolved hugely with far greater accessibility of data via the internet. John has also gained experience of dealing with the College of Arms in London.

John has experience of being on the receiving end of several CASA and WEA courses (in bead-work and early European history).

John is a chartered aerospace engineer educated in Bristol and Cranfield. His career included Concorde, the Beagle 2 Mars lander and several Airbus projects, on which he was a transnational manager of UK, French, German and Spanish staff, retiring in 2010.

​

He was closely involved in the early days of computer aided design, and obtained his doctorate in robotics from the Open University in 2007.

​

After retirement John ran his own aerospace consultancy business, during which time he was a Visiting Fellow and ‘Recognised Teacher’ at Cranfield University, supporting the teaching staff and graduate students in developing the design of satellites and satellite equipment.

​

John’s interest in genealogy is purely that of an enthusiastic amateur, his experience of the topic spanning over 30 years. During that time the subject has evolved hugely with far greater accessibility of data via the internet. John has also gained experience of dealing with the College of Arms in London.

John has experience of being on the receiving end of several CASA and WEA courses (in bead-work and early European history).

John is a chartered aerospace engineer educated in Bristol and Cranfield. His career included Concorde, the Beagle 2 Mars lander and several Airbus projects, on which he was a transnational manager of UK, French, German and Spanish staff, retiring in 2010.

​

He was closely involved in the early days of computer aided design, and obtained his doctorate in robotics from the Open University in 2007.

​

After retirement John ran his own aerospace consultancy business, during which time he was a Visiting Fellow and ‘Recognised Teacher’ at Cranfield University, supporting the teaching staff and graduate students in developing the design of satellites and satellite equipment.

​

John’s interest in genealogy is purely that of an enthusiastic amateur, his experience of the topic spanning over 30 years. During that time the subject has evolved hugely with far greater accessibility of data via the internet. John has also gained experience of dealing with the College of Arms in London.

John has experience of being on the receiving end of several CASA and WEA courses (in bead-work and early European history).