
©The Edward Bawden Estate
NEXT LECTURE -
LUNCHTIME LECTURE - Tuesday 13th May 2025 -
Laurinda Luffman from the RSPB on Swifts, 2 million air miles in a lifetime!
Venue: Barbican Studio, The Higgins Bedford MK40 3XD. 12pm

In this talk, Laurinda features how these wonderful birds have inspired artists and will cover the lifecycle of a swift, revealing amazing facts such as how these birds are able to spend most of the year airborne, why swifts are declining and what steps we can all take to help these masters of the sky.
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Laurinda Luffman is Head of Trusts & Foundations and the Swift
Species Lead at the RSPB, helping to coordinate support and knowledge-sharing for this red-listed bird across the charity. She is a
founder member of Bedfordshire Swifts, one of the many dedicated Swift Local Network groups.
We are thrilled to present our Programme of talks
2025/26 New Season Programme of Friends Lectures and Events (subject to change)
Talks are free with Friends’ membership and members are encouraged to bring guests.
For guests we currently operate an honesty policy and ask for a donation of £10 cash at the door or £8.00 min via our JustGiving web page.
Tuesday 2nd September 2025
Richard Moon on Seizing the Skies
Venue to be announced
Tuesday 9th September 2025
Harrison Goldman on Dogs in Art
Venue to be announced
Tuesday 4th November 2025
Hugh Belsey on Thomas Patch
Venue to be announced
Tuesday 2nd December 2025
Cities of Culture to visit The Art of Venice
Venue to be announced
Tuesday 20th January 2026
Bernard O'Connor on Jasper Maskelyne, the illusionist who hid Tempsford Airfield
Zoom lecture
Tuesday 17th February 2026
Mark Lewis on Graham Sutherland
Venue to be announced