DEVON IN THE 1920s - What was our county like a century ago?

One of Devon’s leading social historians is giving a special lecture this month on what the county was like a century ago.

Dr Julia Neville, an honorary research fellow at Exeter University, led a major five year research project to discover how people lived in our county 100 years ago.

This was a collaboration between the Devon History Society, Devon Family History Society, the South West Heritage Trust and The Box in Plymouth.

With the help of groups across the county the project looked at many different aspects of life - education, farming, housing, and in particular the development of motor transport. This culminated in last year’s Festival of Devon in the 1920s.

Now that research has been distilled into a talk - entitled Devon in the 1920s: no longer a ‘forgotten’ decade? - to be given by Dr Neville as part of Topsham Museum’s summer lecture series.

Dr Neville has a fascinating personal back-story. After retiring as a manager in the NHS she became a community historian, taking a PhD at Exeter University before being awarded an honorary research fellowship.

She has written on 20th century local government and women’s history, and is the current president of the Exeter Civic Society.

Now she brings her expert insights on Devon’s past to Matthews Hall, Topsham, on Thursday May 21.

Doors open 10.30am; lecture begins at 11am.  Entrance £6 payable at the door.