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As thatched property insurance experts it’s part of our job to write about fire. So when we decided to sponsor one of the main lectures at the wonderful Chalke Valley History Festival, we jumped at the chance to support the author and Whitbread Prize winner Claire Tomalin’s brilliant lecture “Samuel Pepys – The Unequalled Self”, great fires being the common thread!

The UK’s biggest dedicated history festival

Designed to inspire, excite and inform, the festival takes place every year in the glorious Wessex countryside. And more than 500 people attended Claire’s lecture, which went down a storm.  In fact the entire festival was a hugely popular affair, being the biggest event dedicated entirely to History in the UK.

Celebrating fascinating historic milestones

This time around the event celebrated the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain, the anniversaries of Magna Carta, Agincourt and Waterloo. And there were some fascinating subjects covered in the history of science and art fields.

A series of wide-ranging talks took listeners on a journey from the time of the ancients to contemporary subjects and everything in between. The Schools Festival took place at the same time, with literally thousands of pupils of every age visiting the festival in the first half of the week.

Interactive history and real vintage aircraft

Interactive living history encampments proved a big hit with everyone, exploring life through the ages from Roman times to the Second World War. And the place was bristling with vintage aircraft including static models of the iconic design triumph, the Spitfire, and the trusty Hurricane, as well as plenty more old aircraft flying above. Thrilling stuff.

Next year’s festival takes place between 27th June and 3rd July 2016. You can find out more on the CVHF website, here.

Back to great fires…

As a thatched property owner, you’re steeped in history. Many of the people whose thatched buildings we insure have a love of history, and bought their thatched home because of it. We did it ourselves, and we adore our delightful little thatched cottage.

Fires are devastating. The last thing you want is to see your place burned down. If you’re investing in a little chunk of Britain’s bucolic past, we’ll help you get the best value thatch insurance, cover designed specifically for beautiful old places like yours. We’ll also pull out all the stops with expert advice about any and every aspect of thatched buildings, including how to prevent thatch fires.