Worcester Park is swapping shopping for history this year.

Next month, internationally renowned historian, author, broadcaster and award winning academic, professor Suzannah Lipscomb will present a talk in Worcester Park, titled "The Nonsuch Queens: Henry VIII last wives".

Event organiser, Richard Johnson said that as traders had decided against Worcester Park having a traditional late-night shopping evening this year, he’d been inspired to try something different: an evening of history talks.

"I approached the professor of history at the University of Roehampton with an idea to set up the evening as a fundraising event for a local charity," Mr Johnson said.

"I was delighted when she enthusiastically agreed, nominating Sutton Night Watch as her preferred charitable beneficiary."

Professor Lipscomb will open a window into the workings of the Tudor Court and present Anne of Cleves, Catherine Howard and Catherine Parr: King Henry’s later wives, who were around at the time of the much-married monarch's newly constructed Nonsuch Palace.

Also presenting a talk on the evening will be Worcester Park’s local historian and author, David Rymill, titled ‘Worcester Park from the Stone Age via the Tudor Age, via the Computer Age’, tracing the towns history and pre-history.

Mr Johnson added: "An evening of local history talk in the lead up to Christmas was a new and untested concept.

"However, with around half the 200 tickets having sold in the first 10 days, and 101 in total, the event appeared to be heading for an early sell out.

"Anyone wishing to attend is encouraged to buy a ticket soon, to avoid disappointment.

The history talks will be at Christ Church with St. Philip in Worcester Park on December 9, with tickets costing £5.

They are available from locations in four town centres: At Donna’s Boutique, Solaris, The Hair Boutique & Christ Church with St Philip; (44, 112, 162 Central Road and Ruskin Drive, Worcester Park, respectively); from Steve’s Card Shop (505 London Rd); Glitz and Bones (2 Cheam Common Rd) at North Cheam; Poltsa Boutique (at 38, Stoneleigh Broadway); and Village Travel (at 5 The Broadway, Cheam Village).

Both talks will be 45 minutes long, followed by questions and answer sessions.