'Taking the Waters: The Rise and Fall (and Rise Again) of the English Spa'

The English have always been obsessed with bathing. English bathing culture over the centuries was riotous, salacious and sometimes devoted to treatments that did more harm than good. English spas were frequented by everyone from royalty (such as Queen Anne who sought relief from gout at Bath) to the poor of Harrogate who, after partaking of their sulphurous waters, added diarrhoea to their miseries! This talk is a romp through the centuries telling the extraordinary story of the English spa from their origins to their reinvention in the twenty first century as beauty and wellness resorts.

Melanie King is a historical non-fiction writer, and a speaker whose talks are informative, interactive and peppered with amusing anecdotes. She is a firm believer in history never being boring!

Venue: Ecgwins Club, 117 High Street, Evesham. WR11 4EQ (Note this is a change of venue from that advertised in the Festival Brochure)

Tickets: £9, including tea/coffee and cake.