A party fit for a Regent

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Regency Society Weekend, a celebration in Brighton about society in the time of the Prince Regent is next weekend, 12–14 October 2012.

The Prince Regent’s love of Brighton remains its mixed legacy today.  How come the amazing Royal Pavilion? But how did ordinary people live? What did ‘the seaside’ mean? What was the Prince's cultural legacy? What did people eat and wear, what remedies imbibe and illness fear? What was the enduring impact of the Regency on the life and buildings of Brighton and Hove?

This weekend, which celebrates the bicentenary of the first full year of the Regency with all sorts of events, is opened in The Royal Pavilion by Sir Simon Jenkins, leading into Dan Cruickshank’s talk on ‘The Year 1812’.   After the Saturday symposium in University of Brighton, addressed by ten experts, including Steven Parissien, there are tours of Regency Brighton and an evening Soirée (including a recital of Regency music) back in the Pavilion.   On Sunday, in the historic assembly room of The Old Ship Hotel (where George held his parties before the Pavilion was finally completed), Lucy Adlington, in Regency costume, talks of their potions and remedies, before food historian Ivan Day digs into the Regency table.

Other expert contributors are Dr Sue Berry, Allan Brodie, Professor Fred Gray, Professor Tim Hitchcock, Lucy Inglis, Neil Burton, Professor Gavin Henderson, Professor Jonathan Woodham, Jackie Marsh-Hobbs, David Beevers, Alexandra Loske, Nick Tyson, Geoffrey Mead, and Professor David Robson.

The carefully mixed event (only part ‘conference’!) is put together by John McKean but managed and made possible by a fantastic band of volunteers from The Regency Society. There are very few spaces left – it should be a wonderfully varied cultural party.

For full details or book, go to http://www.regencysociety.org or call 07513 761213