23rd–29th June 2025 - Broad Chalke, Salisbury
The hilarious historical quiz show was back in 2016 at the Chalke Valley History Festival! Tom Holland was in the chair with Ian Hislop and Dr Alice Roberts pitting their wits in a series of all-new rounds and challenges against Charlie Higson and Andrew Roberts.
Audio from Ian Hislop’s talk at Chalke Valley History Festival on 26th June 2014
Journalist, satirist, comedian and broadcaster Ian Hislop looks at the British capacity to dwell on imagined golden eras in British history. Based on his documentary series for BBC2, he explores the ways in which that national emotional attachment to a romanticised past is used by artists, writers and politicians. Ranging from Dark Age heroism to Victorian Medievalism to 20th century Pastoralism, it will be a backward look at the nature of looking backwards.
Ian Hislop is returning to the Festival this year to talk about ‘The Satirical Magazine and the History of Private Eye’ on Saturday, 27 June. He will be discussing the importance of satire, both in the past and present, and the story behind Private Eye, from its beginnings to its ongoing role in ensuring the absurdities and pomposity in life continue to be exposed…
Recording from Ian Hislop’s talk, ‘Stiff Upper Lip: An Emotional History of Britain’ for CVHF, Saturday, 29th June 2013
The stiff upper lip: the quintessential mark of British stoicism in adversity. Ian
Hislop’s three-part BBC series presented us with ‘an emotional history of Britain’ over the past 300 years, finally asking whether the British lip is still firm and whether indeed it can or should be in a world awash with sentiment. With his habitual wit, Ian Hislop reveals why the stiff upper lip emerged at all, who its greatest proponents and detractors were, (with fascinating insights into two of our greatest heroes, Wellington and Nelson), and why we ended up with the bulldog rather than the cock for our national symbol. This talk is as thought-provoking as it was funny.
Recording from the CVHF Histrionics Quiz Show, Friday, 28th June 2013.
Our very own history quiz show which combines deep historical knowledge with razor-sharp wit. Devised by Justin Pollard (historian and writer of QI), Dan Snow and James Holland, this all-new comedy panel show will see Charlie Higson in the Chair, and two teams that include Ian Hislop, Dan Snow, Neil Oliver and Natalie Haynes. A hysterical historical quiz that will go down in our Festival history as one of the more outrageous and irreverent events we have put on..
An exclusive interview with Justin Pollard, historical advisor on everything from ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ to ‘The Tudors’ as he discusses with John Fry his new history panel show ‘Histrionics’ and shares his delight at being involved in this year’s festival.
Camera: John E Fry
Ian Hislop and Neil Oliver getting their teeth into CVHF’s own panel show, ‘Histrionics’
It is already becoming something of a tradition for the Festival to lay on something slightly lighter-hearted on the Friday evening, and so this year CVHF came up with something entirely new: a brand new history quiz show, combining deep historical knowledge with razor-sharp wit.
With panellists Ian Hislop, Neil Oliver, Dan Snow and Natalie Haynes locking horns under the watchful eyes of Charlie Higson as chair, here are some of the best photos courtesy of John E Fry from one of the more outrageous and irreverence events of the Festival.
An exclusive interview with Ian Hislop at CVHF13, discussing with Xander Drury his fascination with Britain’s ‘Stiff Upper Lip’, his 23 years on ‘Have I Got News For You’ and his take on Boris Johnson’s unstoppable rise.
Camera: John E Fry
Ian Hislop at CVHF13
“George Peabody was one of the great millionaire philanthropists. An illustration for Ian Hislop for his talk on the age of the Do-Gooder. Here he is surveying his good works – the Peabody Buildings – and suffering an autographic pun. One of many little twists I like to give drawings to keep me on my toes and George in his place. I hope Ian Hislop approves. I’m a big fan!”
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