THE question of how great a leader Winston Churchill was will be discussed in a free lecture in Swindon next week.

The lecture, which takes place at the University of Bath in Swindon's Oakfield Campus, will be presented by Derek Smith on Wednesday.

The lecture will evaluate Churchill's career, from the early years through the failure and despair of mid-career to the years of power and success during World War Two and the strange final years of the second premiership.

Mr Smith has had a distinguished career as a professional educator and also undertook post-graduate research at Oxford on pre-World War I political history the period that shaped Churchill.

The one-hour lecture begins at 5.30pm in the Main Hall at the Campus. There is free parking.