| Where | Great Broughton Village Hall | Type of Event | Talk |
| When | Monday 22nd January 2024 | Tutor | Gordon Hetherington |
Pictured above, a portrait of Gertrude Bell and on the right, Gertrude flanked by Winston Churchill to her right and T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) to her left.
The lecture was delivered by Gordon Hetherington. We had a good sized audience which was no surprise given his reputation as a knowledgeable and enthusiastic speaker. Gordon’s presentation was clear and well organised. This was a well- researched and mastered subject.
This comprehensive account brought out how remarkable, in many ways, Gertrude Bell was. Born into a leading and wealthy family Gertrude was in a privileged position. The local history connection is that Gertrude was born in Washington, County Durham and was brought up in Redcar and Rounton. Her family were industrialists who engaged in iron, steel, mines and chemicals – Bell Brothers. They had a big plant at Port Clarence/Haverton Hill and had 48,000 employees. They were said to be the sixth wealthiest family in Britain.
Her life could have been very comfortable and conventional had she chosen that, but her life story reveals that she wanted to make a mark. Highly intelligent, well-educated and strong willed, Gertrude was a formidable personality. The main legacy of her life was the product of her time in the Near and Middle East. A person who was of significance in the creation of new states. On a personal level it seems that the setting up and filling of the museum in Baghdad with the archaeology of Mesopotamia was probably what Gertrude would have considered as the greatest achievement.
The above is just a sample of a full life. What was surprising was to be told that despite this Gertrude has become somewhat unknown, perhaps overlooked. The story of Lawrence of Arabia may be responsible for Gertrude being overshadowed. That is a pity but maybe one day a wider audience will appreciate more.
The material was absorbing and the audience was attentive, possibly even intent. The time passed easily and the audience was informed and entertained. An enjoyable evening.