Talks and Tours 2015

Our talks and tours explore the history and work of Dr John Langdon Down and his home at Normansfield where he brought an enlightened and revolutionary approach to the care of people with learning disabilities.

• Participants must book a place in advance (excluding Open House weekend)

• Call: 0333 1212 300 | Email: Lesley Alabaf. lesley.alabaf@downs-syndrome.org.uk

  

Normansfield Theatre Talk and Tour

10am to 12 noon & 12.30pm to 2.30pm Saturday 7 February 2015 | Both Fully Booked

A one hour talk about Normansfield’s Grade II* listed Victorian theatre. The talk will discuss why it came to be built and its purpose in the daily life of the hospital. The fixtures and fittings will be examined in detail. There will be a guided walk around the theatre, stage and back rooms. Also on show will be a selection of restored Victorian flats depicting a variety of scenery. Light refreshments will be provided. Cost: £10 per person.

  

Creating a Museum

10.00 – 11.30am Saturday 14 March 2015

How we developed the Langdon Down Museum of Learning Disability. The process of developing an archive, displays, grants, social media, publicity and volunteers. £5. Includes light refreshments.

  

In the Footsteps of Dr John Langdon Down

A Walk Around Normansfield

10am to 12 noon Saturday 11 April 2015

This tour will begin with a talk about the development of Normansfield and its history through maps and photographs. The group will then set out for a walk around the original Normansfield site locating the position of lost buildings and finding those that remain. This one hour walk is mostly along pavements but will also include some rough paths and grassed areas. The total distance is about one mile. Light refreshments will be provided at the end of the walk. Cost: £10 per person.

  

Normansfield Theatre Talk and Tour

10am to 12noon Saturday 9 May 2015

A one hour talk about Normansfield’s Grade II* listed Victorian theatre. The talk will discuss why it came to be built and its purpose in the daily life of the hospital. The fixtures and fittings will be examined in detail. There will be a guided walk around the theatre, stage and back rooms. Also on show will be a selection of restored Victorian flats depicting a variety of scenery. Light refreshments will be provided. Cost: £10 per person.

  

James Henry Pullen

The Genius of Earlswood Asylum

10-11am Saturday 27 June 2015

A talk about the life of James Henry Pullen, (1835-1916), a resident of the Royal Earlswood Asylum near Redhill, who is believed to have had the condition of savant syndrome. Known as the Genius of Earlswood Asylum, Pullen created a series of ships including a model of Brunel’s Great Eastern and the Princess Alexandra, a 40 gun man of war. The talk will also look in detail at his pictorial autobiography, imaginary ships and paintings. This will be followed by a viewing of a short film made about Pullen and a guided tour of the objects, models and paintings in the museum. Light refreshments will be provided. Cost: £5 per person.

  

Open House London

11.30am – 4pm Sunday 20 September 2015

As part of this annual event which once a year opens the doors to hundreds of buildings around London, the Langdon Down Centre will be open with guided tours of the museum and theatre. This event is free and does not require booking. Light refreshments can be purchased.

  

What is Down’s syndrome?

The work of the Down’s Syndrome Association and the lives of people with the condition in history and today

10-11am Saturday 10 October 2015

A talk about the work of the Down’s Syndrome Association and the condition itself. Dr John Langdon Down first identified the condition in the 19th Century while he was working at the Royal Earlswood Asylum. This talk looks at the condition though history and the lives of those who have Down’s syndrome today. It will also consider the work of the DSA in terms of shifting people’s perspectives. Light refreshments will be provided. Cost: £5 per person.

  

Dr John Langdon Down and Normansfield

The Social History of Learning Disability

10-11.30am Saturday 14 November 2015

A one hour talk about the life of Dr John Langdon Down and Normansfield which brought a revolutionary and enlightened approach to the care of those with all forms of learning disability. The talk will look at the development and management of Normansfield from 1868 until its closure in 1997 and changes that have occurred in the care of people with disabilities. Light refreshments will be provided. Cost: £5 per person.