Current Events

Speaker season via Zoom only available to members

8 February 2021 7.30pm - Victorian Crime and Punishment with Dr Liz Davies, Curator of St Neots Museum

The Victorian passion for reform left its mark in every part of public life, with the criminal justice system being no exception. Many of the changes made stemmed from the widespread fear of the so-called “criminal underclass”, as exemplified in the pages of Oliver Twist.

Out went transportation to the colonies and capital punishment for crimes other than murder. In came effective police forces, penal servitude, new model prisons and separate reformatories for young offenders. In fact, some of these reforms had already begun before Victoria’s accession.

British society was characterised in the early nineteenth century as being rowdy and outspoken, but by the end it had become generally inhibited, orderly and respectable. How far, then, had the reforms to policing and criminal justice contributed to these changes in behaviour?

To guide us through these choppy and often murky waters, we welcome PCS member Dr Liz Davies. Born in New Zealand, Dr Davies graduated in History from Aberystwyth University, going on to train as a social history curator. She is particularly interested in the history of working people and everyday life. Prior to taking up her current post at St Neots, she worked in museums at Aylesbury and Stevenage, as well as at our own city museum.

	8 March 2021 7.30pm - Climate Change and the Work of the Wildlife Trust Our speaker is Brian Eversham, Chief Executive, Wildlife Trust for Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Northamptonshire.
	12 April 2021 7.30pm - Peterborough's Blue Plaques Phase 2 Our speaker is Toby Wood, vice-chair of our Society
	10 May 2021 7.30pm - City Centre Development Strategy Our speaker is Steve Cox, Executive Director for Place & Economy, Peterborough City Council and Cambridgeshire County Council.

Completed talks

11 January 2021 7.30pm - Our AGM followed by
             Oliver Cromwell with Stuart Orme, Curator of the Cromwell Museum, Huntingdon

On the outbreak of the Civil War in 1642, Oliver Cromwell, aged 43, was an obscure country gentleman and back bench MP, showing no obvious signs of future greatness. Yet, within three years, and despite lacking any military experience, he had become one of the foremost generals of the Parliamentary Army. By 1653, rising far above the ranks of his contemporaries, he had assumed the office of Lord Protector, and, as “our chief of men”, was widely considered to be king in all but name.

What then was the background to Cromwell’s impressive public career? Are there clues from his private life to explain how he gained the resilience and strength of character to overcome the many challenges and setbacks he had to face? At a less exalted level, is it true that he wanted to ban Christmas, and did he really demand to have his portrait painted “warts and all”?

Our speaker, Stuart Orme, will be able to set out for us these and other facets of Cromwell’s remarkable life. Stuart is a long-term friend and supporter of the Society, who will be familiar to members from his previous roles with Peterborough Museum, Vivacity, and Peterborough Cathedral. Since February 2018, he has served as Curator of the Cromwell Museum in Huntingdon, in which capacity he kindly hosted a successful summer visit from the Society in July of last year.

Previous speakers from past years