Afternoon talks

Portsmouth Museum and Art Gallery is hosting a series of afternoon talks on Wednesday 5 August, a full day of sessions running across a wide range of subjects. The museum describes the line-up as covering everything from geology to football, so it's not a single-theme day — you'll find talks on the natural world sitting alongside ones on sport, with plenty of ground to cover in between.

That's the main draw here: the variety. If you're into the deep history of the earth, there's geology; if you're more of a football person, that's on the list too. Because the subjects are so different, you can pick and choose the ones that actually interest you rather than having to commit to a single topic for the whole afternoon. It's the kind of thing that works just as well if you're coming on your own as it does if you're bringing the family along, and it's aimed at a general audience, so you don't need any specialist knowledge to get something out of it.

The talks take place at the museum, which is free to enter and doesn't require a booking, so you can easily wander in and out around the sessions. The full programme is listed on the museum's website, which is where you'll find the specific times and titles for each talk. If you're planning to stay for more than one, it's worth checking the schedule beforehand so you can map out your afternoon. The whole thing falls on 5 August, in the middle of the summer, so it's an easy one to fit into a day off.