Heroic Animals vs. Heinous Plants: A Curious Histories Special Double Bill

Curious Histories returns to the Folklore Rooms, above the Quadrant pub, with another idiosyncratic double-bill.

Pete Fijalkowski and Stuart Mitchell present two surprising tales of human interaction with wildlife. We're pleased to say that all profits from the evening will be going to help the Food & Friendship charity in Hove.

Scroll down for more details about this great little local outfit.

Wojtek: The Bear Who Fought the Nazis During World War II,
A band of Polish soldiers escaping from Siberia came across an orphaned bear cub and took him under their wing; together they made a remarkable journey across continents and into war. This is a fascinating story about the connection and friendship between humans and animals, set against a backdrop of turbulence and uncertainty. Using rare photographs and filmed footage, Pete Fijalkowski tells the spell-binding true account of Wojtek (pronounced Voy-Tek), the bear who rose to the rank of Corporal; a tale that sounds so incredible, you'd think it was lifted from the pages of a children's book.

The Giant Giant Hogweed Caper of 1970
In the early summer of 1970, massed ranks of Giant Hogweed marauded across the land, burning children and annexing the UK's riverbanks, woodland, and canals. Or, at least, that was the impression given by some media outlets at the time. While the truth was somewhat less dramatic, still these twelve foot monsters, packed with phototoxic sap, proved ideal candidates for public enemy #1. Dr Stuart Mitchell investigates one of the stranger moral panics of late twentieth century Britain.

Our speakers:

Pete Fijalkowski runs one of Sussex's most well-known spoken word events, the Speakeasy Club in Worthing. He's also an accomplished singer-songwriter and a "brilliant storyteller and raconteur" (David Bramwell of Brighton's Catalyst Club).

Stuart Mitchell is a historian and the creator of the Curious Histories talks programme.