'Pentonville Prison, Planning, Prohibition and Parties'

Speaker: Professor Lester Hillman
Time: 8:00 PM
Venue: Islington Town Hall, Upper Street, London N1

Lester Hillman will talk to the Society on the birth of town planning and John Burns PC, MP who steered the legislation. As the first 'working man' to rise to a place in the Cabinet Burns had a colourful life which included a spell in Pentonville Prison. This centennial event will explore something of the drama that was unfolding exactly a hundred years ago, its consequences and why it remains of interest a century later.

Lester is a Visiting Professor at London Metropolitan Business School and studied at the Polytechnic in Holloway Road.  He went to School in Islington and has strong family ties to the Borough. He has spent nearly 40 years in town planning, much of it in and around Islington including more than 10 years tunnelling up to Pentonville Prison for the Channel Tunnel Rail Link! He has recently written a paper on Burns and the Act.

So plan on an early 'Burns Night' and join us on 16th December for a Christmastide centennial birthday celebration.