Full programme launched for Chalke History Festival

More household names have been added to the line-up

Author: Maria GreenwoodPublished 23rd Apr 2024

The final additions have been made to the bill for this year's Chalke History Festival.

It includes confirmation that spitfire and hurricane aircraft will join a D-Day themed flypast over the Broad Chalke site.

The Festival at the end of June will also see more household names.

Political editor and co-host of The Rest is Money podcast Robert Peston returns to the festival this year, this time talking about his latest book Bust in which he says that the country’s economy is flat lining but that things can be made better.

Fans of BBC TV’s hugely popular sitcom Ghosts will be delighted to learn that co-creators Ben Willbond and Laurence Rickard are set to share behind-the-scenes stories of both writing for and acting in this critically-acclaimed show.

International bestselling author and Founder Director of the Women’s Prize Kate Mosse will shine a light on the extraordinary women of the Second World War.

And actor and comedian Al Murray, best known for his role as The Pub Landlord, will be taking a night off from his nationwide tour ‘Guv Island’ and performing a very special stand-up routine entitled The First Draught of History in the Spiegel Tent on the Wednesday night. All proceeds will be donated to Finley’s Touch, in memory of Al’s nephew.

To mark the 80th anniversary of D-Day, Second World War enthusiasts are in for treat this June. After an absence of six years, historic warbirds will be just some of the star attractions of the weekend programme.

Visitors on the Saturday will be able to see The Spitfire, one of the most iconic aircraft ever built and a symbol of the Allied victory in 1945, flying over the festival site. And on the Sunday, they can watch The Hurricane - which played such a vital role in the Battle of Britain and destroyed more enemy aircraft than all the other air and ground defences combined - return to the skies over the Chalke Valley.

About the Chalke History Festival

Attracting the finest and most distinguished historians, academics, leading thinkers, and writers from the UK and abroad, the Chalke History Festival is now firmly established as one of the must-attend events of the festival summer.

Taking place on a 70-acre farm, in the heart of the Wessex countryside just outside Salisbury in Wiltshire, it blends inspiring literary talks, discussions and panels with eye-catching and entertaining living history and historical experiences.

The Chalke History Festival caters to visitors of all ages, with special activities and entertainment for children and teenagers.

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