	Historian Speaker Guide		Landline 01474 320156 Mobile 0770 228 7147 christoph.bull@talktalk.net Email Me
Christoph Bull is a tour guide and Speaker who has entertained many local groups with his illustrated talks and walks. He is also Municipal Mace Bearer for Gravesham Borough Council, Official Cobham Hall House & Garden guide, and historical advisor to Swanscombe & Greenhithe Town Council Talks & Walks by Christoph Bull, BA (Hons), MCLIP, ALA
Illustrated Talks * Chalk Parish- Marshes, midges and medicine * Amazing Swanscombe * Shorne Parish - saints, sinners & scenery. * Northfleet's Secret History * The forgotten parish Denton, near Gravesend. * Folklore of Chalk Parish: things that go bump in the parish * Neumünster - Gravesham's twin town in Germany: historical twins * A Kentishman in Transylvania (about Romania) * "The good, the bad & the ugly":The amusing story of Kentish public libraries * Gravesend: Gateway to the Thames * Dirty Dartford… * Dickens in Kent * Gravesham Round & About - a virtual historical tour. * From Grot to Great: Gravesend Library’s transformation * Our Thames from Dartford to Grain * Some Real Kentish Ghost stories (not illustrated) * Pocahontas – the non-Disney story * The Kaiser’s War?? – a different perspective on the First World War * Cobham Parish - A Kentish Gem. * Stone near Dartford – the tale of the incredible shrinking parish. * Greenhithe to Grayhithe and back again (a talk about Greenhithe’s history) * Amazing Swanscombe, Greenhithe and Neumünster – Kent and Germany during World War One * Grim Gravesend – a guided walk or an illustrated talk about the sad, mad and bad of the town- tales of poverty disease and crime. * “The only one that got away” – the story of a German POW escape from Kent in 1915 and the amazing adventure which took him from China via America to Gravesend. * Some Gravesham Characters – well known and unknown people who have shaped the borough’s story (illustrated talk) Illustrated Talks. In preparation: * Dartford Rural Rides - Discover the Darent Valley's delightful villages. * Dartford Rural Rides-Discover the mysterious down-land communities. * Into the Hoo Peninsula & its secrets.		Guided Walks *Chalk Village* Chalk Parish Footpaths Chalk Church *( including the tower)* St. Helen’s Church, Cliffe S.S. Peter & Paul’s Church, Swanscombe Dartford Central Library (Historical tour of the magnificent Carnegie building inside & out) Gravesend Central Library (Historical tour) Gravesend town centre: walking the historical spine of a Kentish riverside town Swanley town: a blooming Kentish railway town. Guided walk of East Chalk & the churchyard Swanscombe Town: Kentish industrial revolution revealed Shorne Village Greenhithe Village Delightful Dartford – from the workhouse to the grave. Gravesend – riverside guided tour Gravesend Old Town Hall Gravesend County Court and King Street. School Trips around NW Kent parishes and towns – contact me on 01474 320156 – e.g. Victorian Gravesend, Industrial Revolution in Swanscombe or Dartford etc. Grim Gravesend – disease, poverty, crime and marine disasters in old Gravesend. Northfleet – historical tour and eye opening experience. Say NO to Option C Take part in the consultation It’s important! www.lower-thames-crossing.co.uk
2019 Walks Talks & History & Chips : 2019 Programme of talks by Christoph Bull (Local Historian) – most illustrated, with a humorous delivery at the Reliance Restaurant, Queen Street, Gravesend, and other venues. Thursday 25^th July 2019 11.30am Gravesend’s Victorian Dream: guided tour of Wellington Street area of Gravesend. Guide: Christoph Bull. Tour will be in English & German Meet: 11.30am on corner of The Grove, Gravesend, opposite Clock Tower Cost: £4 a head – no need to book, just turn up. Come and see how Gravesend,s view of the future changed forever in the Victorian period A tour of the Zoar Chapel in Saddington Street included. Sunday 28^th July: 2.30pm Circular walk Cobham to Henley Street. Meet: 2.30pm at Cobham Church, The Street, Cobham DA12 3AY Leader: Jenny Ellert 01474 361977. Gravesend Historical Society Footpaths Committee walk open to all, free - no need to book. Saturday 24^th August 2019 11am Guided walk of Gravesend “If statues could talk” Guide: Christoph Bull (Local Historian and Tour Guide) Meet: 11am by Tourist Information Booth, Gravesend Market (near the Queen Victoria statue) Cost: £5 per person. Booking essential 01474 337600 or at the Tourist Information Booth (open Thursdays to Sundays only). Sunday 25^th August 2019 2.30pm Countryside footpath walk in Higham Parish Leader: Anne Waugh 07969055243 Meet: 2.30pm Mill Barn, Hermitage Road, Higham ME3 7ND The walk is free and open to all – it is a cross country walk – sensible footwear is needed. Gravesend Historical Society Footpaths Committee walk – exploring our local landscapes. Monday 9^th September 2019: 6pm Chalk Parish – marshes, midges and medicine. ( Illustrated talk with Supper ) Chalk is one of Gravesham’s most interesting parishes, come and learn about this ancient village and parish. Speaker: Christoph Bull (Local Historian) Local History & Chips at the Reliance Gravesend Supper at 6pm, talk to follow. Part of the programmes of events “Local History & Chips” At: The Reliance Restaurant, Queen Street, Gravesend Booking essential: £15 includes supper and talk. Book: Reliance Restaurant 01474 533593 Sunday 15^th September 2019 2.30pm Countryside footpath walk: Ifield to Singlewell. Leader: Nicholas Miskin 01474 832301 Meet: 2.30pm southern end of Church Road, Ifield DA13 9AT The walk is free and open to all – it is a cross country walk – sensible footwear is needed. Gravesend Historical Society Footpaths Committee walk – exploring our local landscapes. Friday 20^th September 2019 2.30pm Exploring Gravesham’s ancient parishes (illustrated talk): if you think you knew Gravesham, then think again! Speaker: Christoph Bull (Local Historian) At: St Paul’s United Reformed Church, Singlewell Road, Gravesend, begins at 2.30pm Cost: £5 including refreshments No need to book, just turn up – pay on the door. Monday 14th October 2019: 6pm Local History & Chips at the Reliance Gravesend Some Gravesham Characters – meet some of the famous and unknown people who make up our area’s story. Some Gravesham Characters-Famous & Forgotten (Illustrated talk with supper) Speaker: Christoph Bull (Local Historian) Begins: 6pm for fish & chip supper, talk to follow Cost: £15 – includes talk with fish & chip supper. At Reliance Restaurant, Queen Street, Gravesend, costs £15 for supper and talk and that booking is essential on 01474 533593 Thursday 17^th October 2019 2 p.m. Gravesend the day before yesterday (illustrated talk). Discover how the town has changed over 60 years & celebrate 60 years of Kings Farm Library 1959 – 2019. Speaker: Christoph Bull (Local Historian & former Kent librarian) At: Kings Farm Library, Sun Lane, Gravesend Begins: 2pm Cost: £4 includes refreshmentsBooking required 03000 413131 (ask for Kings Farm Library) or email: kingsfarmlibrary@kent.gov.uk – or call in. Monday 25^th November 2019: 6pm Local History & Chips at the Reliance Gravesend Ghost stories from North-West Kent. Prepare for the Christmas period with some suitable real ghost stories from the surrounding area. Not Illustrated. They don't need to be ! At Reliance Restaurant, Queen Street, Gravesend, costs £15 for supper and talk and booking is essential on 01474 533593 Friday 27^th December 2019 10.30am Winter Warmer Walk: Swanscombe Marshes & Northfleet border – guided historical walk Guide: Christoph Bull. Meet: 10.30am outside George & Dragon public house, Galley Hill, Swanscombe Event is free – but donations welcomed Come and join Christoph for this Winter tradition and find out about the industry of Swanscombe and Northfleet and how the Civil War affected this area. Gravesend Historical Society Footpaths Committee walk – open to all. Sensible footwear needed. No need to book, just turn up. This website was updated 17th July 2019 Say NO to Option C Take part in the consultation It’s important! www.lower-thames-crossing.co.uk
Comments "Thank you so much for your brilliant talk last evening (on Stone the shrinking parish), you brought back so many memories for me, some I have to admit I’d forgotten about!! " Barbara Cannell, Hextable Heritage Association. June 2019 "Thank you so much Christoph for another enjoyable and informative presentation and your jokes too! So sorry the microphone was playing up .......just as well you do not need it!! We always know we can rely on you to make our meetings go well Many thanks Christina" On behalf of our committee and members. Swanley Local History Group, May 2019 We've had some lovely feedback about your talk. Our ladies found it very interesting. We'll definitely be in touch again. Hoo WI, January 2019 “Christoph Bull gave an excellent, highly amusing, well-illustrated and well-prepared talk on ‘The Good, the Bad and the Ugly’, to a packed meeting of members of the Tonbridge Civic Society, on Tuesday 16^th October 2018. Many members later said how much they had enjoyed the talk.” Peter Charlton Vice-Chairman, Tonbridge Civic Society “Another interesting and informative evening delivered with the usual enthusiasm and humour that always accompany these talks”. Paul Gay, Sept 2018 commenting on a talk about Northfleet. We hired Christoph’s services for the evening, to present and give a guided tour around Gravesend’s historic town centre. Being a locally renowned estate agents, it provided a different approach to our community and charity activities. 60 or so guests booked into the walk and it proved to be extremely successful. Christoph’s grasp of local history is second to none. It gave both clients and staff a real insight into the history that lies about us that often we dismiss on a daily basis. Christoph is funny, authoritative and very engaging. For a taster I would recommend that anyone joins his walking tours and talks and in the future – because of the fantastic feedback we got from the event we ran – we will be holding further history walks in the future under Christoph’s excellent leadership. Michael Alan Sears, Managing Director, Sealeys Estate Agents Ltd On behalf of our committee and members, thank you so much for your absorbing presentation, so entertainingly delivered, last Tuesday evening. There certainly was something for everyone and I personally want to go out and explore some of the places you mentioned - some very close to Swanley but not really widely known. Our great attendance was I am sure because of your fame as an excellent speaker! (Swanley History Group, March 2018) On behalf of the committee and members of SouthAra, I wish to express our thanks to you for yet another excellent presentation at yesterday meeting. As always, your talk contained interesting and in many cases not so obvious factual information on the principle Churches in and around the area we live; all of which was relayed with a sprinkling of humour for the enjoyment of the audience. Geoff Till, Feb 2018 “We all really enjoyed your very spirited and informative Gravesend lecture”. Biddenden Local History Society, Feb 2018. Talk Title: Our Thames: Dartford to the Grain Saturday, 6 January 2018 Thank you for a thoroughly good talk enjoyed by all our members. So much information brought to life the Thames side locally, and with your good humour! We are looking forward to your next talk. Personally I have a much loved copy of "Liquid History - The Thames Through Time" by Stephen Croad so I enjoyed your talk even more. Thank you once again for a very entertaining talk. Best wishes Raymer North West Kent Family History Society Dartford Branch Programme Secretary Hello Christoph Glad to meet you all but briefly yesterday, The feedback from the members was very good , regarding both the enjoyment of your delivery and content matter on Gravesend & its clock tower. It is fascinating to learn about the former lives of places and buildings that barely catch our attention now in familiar streets. However we can start to look more closely and wonder about the social and historical periods that they have been part of. We can certainly recommend you to others, and look forward to the next time we see you. Kind regards Rosie Griggs Lanbara Speaker Diary Sec. November 2017 Hi Christoph - As I mentioned to you at the time, I got some very good comments from members as they left, and I hope you enjoyed talking to George and Margaret (our Africa correspondents) afterwards as much as they enjoyed chatting to you. Thank you again for an entertaining and informative evening on the amusing stories from Kent’s public libraries. Kind regards Mike Hyde, programme organiser of Oddfellows, Tunbridge Wells District. 9 November 2017. We so much appreciated your coming to talk to us today. All you had to say about the Kaiser's War was fascinating and it sounded as though it was a subject close to your heart [and your family] Comments from some of the audience afterwards showed that it caused many of us to think about the War from a different angle which I am sure is what you were hoping for. Thank you once again. Regards. Julia Hawkins Wed, 8 Mar 2017 Subject: Talk to Medway U3A Dear Christoph, Thank you for coming to talk to Leytara on’ Dirty Dartford’ last week, everyone I have spoken to said how much they had enjoyed the subject and the way it was delivered. I have had several requests for an encore. November 2015 "We so much enjoyed your talk about Pocahontas. As I am sure you realised we found it entertaining and thought-provoking especially as it exploded so many of the myths that have grown up around her. Thank you very much for coming and I hope that some of us will be making our way to Gravesend to join one of your tours. Medway U3A Sept 2015 "Hi Christoph, thank you so much for the talk you gave yesterday. It was really interesting and entertaining. Our audience really seemed to enjoy it and everyone that I have spoken to was very complimentary". Dartford U3a, June 2015 "Hi Christoph I am sorry I should have been in touch before. I would like to thank you for your presentation that although we rushed, you came over in a very professional way on the 31^st March 2015. We had a committee meeting yesterday and went through the feedback sheets. Everyone had a great day and thoroughly enjoyed your presentation". Dot Marshall Gravesham 50+ Forum “I am writing to thank you for a most interesting and informative talk at Loose last evening when many of us would have learned things we never knew before (about Germany in World War One). Your research is obviously extensive and your enthusiasm for the subject was clearly evident.” David Priestley, Chairman of Loose Area History Society Nov 2014. "Thank you for a wonderful presentation today, thoroughly enjoyed it. Can’t wait for the next one". Gravesham 50Plus Forum. "Thank you so much for coming along to our AGM and doing your history presentation on Northfleet. You were brilliant with loads of great feedback from the audience". Council for Voluntary Services – North West Kent. "Many thanks for a great tour of Gravesend. The children and us adults enjoyed it very much, and everyone liked you very much". BH Education, Harmer Street, Gravesend. Hi Chris. Just been to Strood Library to hear you give your talk on libraries. We both thought you presented your subject with superb wit and knowledge. You made the afternoon so interesting and we would like to be made aware of any future talks on any different subjects that you may offer. Thank you and hope to see you at Chalk Church sometime . Roy and Margaret Davis. Hi Chris, Thanks for your excellent talk at Strood last Saturday. It was very well received, and about as entertaining as the best comedian in the land! Norma Crowe, Medway Archives and Local Studies Centre, Strood. Had a brilliant morning with Sue’s English group and Derek and Lisa Baldwin and Andrea Dodd at the Mayor's parlour . Thanks to mayor and mayoress Derek and Pam Sales for tea and description of duties of the job. Extra special thanks to the entertaining and excellent Mace carrier Christoph Bull he made all the history fun to listen to. Eileen Baldwin, Gravesend
C. R. Bull Tel: 01474 320156. Mobile: 0770 228 7147
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