Melanie Gibson- Barton's talk explores the story of the British heroine who died in Brussels in 1915. Presenting the experience of regular visits to Brussels to research the hospitals and homes where Edith would have worked as well as the place of her execution. The Life and Times of Edith Cavell talk tells her story supported by photographs of existing artefacts of her life.
The story unfolds starting from Edith's childhood in Norfolk, her training as a nurse and her appointment as a matron at a new training school for nurses in Brussels in 1907. The Great War interrupted Edith's nursing career and drew her into a world of helping Allied soldiers escape to neutral Holland to avoid imprisonment leading the Germans to arrest and charge Edith with treason and execute her at dawn on 12th October 1915. A world-wide outcry ensured that her name was not forgotten but Melanie's talk provides the full story of her life leaving audiences feeling that they know Edith.
Melanie's talk was originally commissioned by Hythe Civic Society in Kent to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Edith's execution. The talk gives audiences ideas for visits to locations in England and Brussels connected with Edith based on Melanie's personal knowledge of the Brussels built up through previously splitting her time between living in Kent and living in Bruges, Belgium. The beautiful city of Bruges is about an hour's drive from Brussels.
The Life and Times of Edith Cavell talk fits within a suite of talks by Melanie about the history and culture of Belgium as Edith lived, worked and died in Brussels. Melanie's suite of talks about the history and culture of Belgium that includes as 'Wandering in Flanders Fields', 'Bruges – it's more than just chocolate', 'Ostend – more than just fish and flip flops' and 'The Belgian Royal Family – murder, madness and mayhem'.
Melanie has been giving talks for several years to the National Trust, U3A, history groups, church groups, Women's Institutes, Oddfellows, Soroptimists and retirement social groups such as Rotary, CSMA, ARAs and PROBUS – 'live' and in Lockdowns via Zoom.us - and tells us she has the privilege of meeting new audiences to entertain and inform every day. Her range of currently seventeen talks can be viewed at www.toonstelling.com.
The 49th AGM followed the talk. Details will be published in the December 2023 Journal.
Winners of the Alan Neame Award 2023 announcement may be read. Here.