THE Victorian house was the subject of a fascinating talk by Nicole Burnett.

The museum consultant presented the architecture and interior design of lower middle class town housing. Typically, these dwellings were aspirational ''villas'' found in the suburbs of Victorian England and indeed Alcester.

The speaker revealed anaglypta embossed wallpaper (often considered a 1970s invention) was fashionable Victorian decor in 1870.

Living in the Victorian house seemed fraught with danger. Green wallpapers were coloured with arsenic while some wall coverings were made from asbestos.

She went on to describe how speculative builders could buy architectural objects ''off the peg''. These features signified status - a bay window being a feature of aspiration.

The next talk, Willingly to School? A History of Schools in Warwickshire, will be presented by David Howe at 8pm on Wednesday, June 8 at the Greig Centre. Visitors welcome.