Bournville Village

Ray Barrett


Regions:
West Mids, Warwickshire
Notice Period:
Short (maybe less than one month's notice)
Type:
Professional, Organisational, Charity, and hobbyist
Fee:
Paid: £65
Category:
History
Updated:
7th April 2024
Tagged:
Quakers | Bournville | Cadbury

In the early Victorian era the working men, women and often their children were paid pitiful wages, subjected to atrocious working practices and lived slum housing conditions with the public house their only form of escape. Two brothers who owned a small chocolate manufactory in Birmingham town centre were determined to change all that.

This talk about the building of Bournville: the model village which was created as an exemplar of how this could work, demonstrating that by improving the conditions of the ordinary workers it would not only improve their lives but could be sustainable and profitable for all those companies who followed suit.

Views: 57 | Enquiries: 0

About Ray Barrett

I was born, and raised in Bournville in the West Midlands but have been lucky enough to travel extensively across the world during my working life. I am now semi-retired and have been public speaking for about the last 5 years.

For many years I worked at the forefront of automotive technology helping to develop the newly emerging electronic systems that would eventually include the adaptive and augmented driving systems that were to become the building blocks and forerunners of today's self-driving and electronic vehicles. I now deliver talks and presentations covering many aspects of those technologies and future innovations in the automotive field. Please contact me if you require more details for a commercial booking.

However, now that I have 'slowed down' and have more time for research and writing, I have spent time developing a number of talks and presentations concerning some of my personal interests and passions.

Living in Bournville - the home of Cadbury - I have spent many years researching aspects of local history concerning the factory, the village and the people that made it. I am also a tour guide at the World famous Bournville Carillon and have published several books on various related subjects.

Additionally I also give a number of talks concerning my other two loves: English Heraldic Lore and Vexillology (the study of flags and pennants).

In many of my talks I speak from the point of view of an enthusiast, rather than an academic, so the talks are easy to digest and should appeal to people from every walks of life. Occasionally there's a little technical jargon but I always try to simplify it into everyday terms, and I am always happy to take questions at the end.

Most of my talks last approximately one hour and are general in nature. However, if you are particularly interested in a more in-depth understanding or would like to discuss other aspects or options of a particular subject, then please contact me.

I normally deliver in-person talks in and around the West Midlands area but will travel further by special arrangement. All of my talks are illustrated with PowerPoint slides. I have my own equipment, but will happily use yours if it’s already in place. If a face-to-face meeting is not possible or impractical, I can deliver all talks online, using Zoom, Teams or any other proprietary platform,


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