For over 15 years, Toby shared his passion for history by delivering two to three 10-lecture series annually on Foreign History for Sutton Coldfield u3a. When Covid-19 restrictions arose, he seamlessly transitioned to Zoom, continuing to teach online ever since.
Below are tributes from members of his Foreign History group:
"Thursday afternoons will not be the same... I had gleaned so much." (D<)
"I have a bookcase of books acquired following his recommendations." (PR)
"I valued Toby's commitment, dry humour, and professionalism." (MS)
"Toby inspired me with his obvious love of history." (GB)
"His talks—with pictures and cartoons—were just the right amount of information to inform without getting bogged down." (SS)
"Toby put a lot of work into his lectures and had a deep understanding of a wide range of history." (PF)
"What an incredible teacher, whose passion for history was infectious and will leave a lasting legacy with us all." (SI)
"His depth of knowledge, passion, and warm communication skills attracted and held many viewers. He will be greatly missed." (EG)
"He was always so informative and entertaining." (DL)
"He communicated his love of Foreign History to those of us raised on English Kings and Queens to the exclusion of the rest of the world." (JM)
"It must be at least 10 years since I've been listening to Toby's forensic foreign history talks... He will be sadly missed." (GH)
"Thoroughly researched and professionally delivered. Richly illustrated, always thought-provoking, and sometimes controversial." (TH)
Tom Halstead
14/08/2026
