John Humphrys headed up the panel debate.
Photo credit - Robert Mackenzie
Top panel debate our Victorian legacy
Political journalist and broadcaster John Humphrys headed up a panel discussion on Great Exhibitions and Great Debates: Victorian Values and 21st-century Britain. Other distinguished panellists included best-selling author and alumnus John O’Farrell, Senior English lecturer Dr Paul Young, socialist-feminist historian and writer Professor Sheila Rowbotham and Victorian literature specialist Professor Isobel Armstrong.
Dr Paul Young commented “It was a really lively and stimulating debate. Prompted by some great questions from the audience, the topics we discussed included bank bail-outs and anti-capitalism, civilizing missions and imperial intervention, Big Society versus State support, binge-drinking and celebrity culture. Although we tend to think we've left the Victorians behind us, the evening showed how many of the issues that concerned the Victorians are also the problems that confront us today.”
Held at the newly re-opened Royal Albert Memorial Museum (RAMM) in Exeter, the popular event formed part of an exciting weekend of collaborative events drawing upon the museum’s collections and the expertise of the University’s Centre for Victorian Studies.
Date: 5 April 2012
