LORD Chris Smith, former MP, Secretary of State for Culture, and chair of the Environment Agency, will deliver the Friends of the Lake District’s annual fundraising Kirby Lecture at Grasmere Village Hall on Thursday October 2, at 7.30pm.

His talk will be entitled ‘Where Cultural Heritage and the Natural Environment Meet’ and will address the environmental challenges that we face today, especially in a fragile and precious landscape such as the Lake District.