Lecture
At the Centre of the World: Henley and the Olympic Regatta of 1908
Speaker: Michael Redley
Tue, 12 Oct 2021
About the lecture:
The rowing competition in the Olympic Games of 1908 was staged at Henley, which was then called upon to represent Britain to the world.
What part did the annual regatta play in the life of the town?
Why did the Olympics come to Henley?
What extra demands did the event make, and how did the town react?
The episode casts an interesting light on its political and social life in the years leading up to the First World War.
Michael Redley lives in Norman Avenue in Henley. His doctoral work in history was on East Africa in colonial times. He made a career in central government and in statutory agencies concerned with broadcasting and at the University of Oxford. More recently he has returned to his roots in history. He has published on various topics and teaches courses at the Department for Continuing Education in Oxford on twentieth-century British history and politics.