What the heck is a lek?
Males great bustards perform spectacular courtship displays, gathering at a ‘lek’ or small display ground to try to impress the females.
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It’s with great excitement that we can announce the launch of our first ever podcast in a series we are calling Interrogating Hardy. Hosted by our curator, Harriet Still, the podcasts explore Thomas Hardy’s role in social change in Victorian Britain, from social injustice to women’s rights and animal welfare.
In each episode, Harriet is joined by an academic researcher and an expert on the modern-day. The first topic is Hardy and the Social Inequality of the Land, which Harriet discusses with Harvey Bilbrough, a politics student from the University of York and Leila Simon, an organic farmer from Tamarisk Farm in Dorset.
We can’t talk about the podcasts without mention of our fantastic MA Placement student from the University of York, Kirsty O’Rourke. She has efficiently led on every aspect of their production, from concept through to promotion. We’ll be putting together a case study later in the year to pass on all our learning from the project.
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We are hugely grateful to Battens Solicitors for sponsoring our Thomas Hardy exhibition.
Males great bustards perform spectacular courtship displays, gathering at a ‘lek’ or small display ground to try to impress the females.
The great bustard has a dignified slow walk but tends to run when disturbed, rather than fly.
The hen-bird on display at The Salisbury Museum was one of the last great bustards to be eaten in the town!