Know Your History!
| Published: 16th April 2008 20:15 |
Mary Queen of Scots was brought up in France and is said to have spoken with a French, not Scottish, accent. Is this true? Guy Fawkes confessed on the rack to his part in the Gunpowder Plot - but when did Britain stop torturing its prisoners? Robin Hood robbed the rich and gave to the poor - but did he really exist?
Just a sample of the questions that anybody might ask after seeing the countless films and television programmes about history that are so popular today. Now you have a chance to get the answers really easily - thanks to historians at Bath Spa University .
Bath Spa's School of Historical and Cultural Studies has set up a new website called Ask the Experts. All members of the public, young and old, can access it and pose their own questions to a panel of 10 lecturers from the History Department. You just submit your query and one of the experts, with relevant specialist knowledge, will respond to it personally online. Between them the Bath Spa historians cover every period from medieval to modern times.
The site will be especially useful for children who need a little extra help with their history curriculum at school, but it's also intended for their parents and, indeed, enthusiasts of any age.
This novel scheme is the brainchild of senior history lecturer Dr Roberta Anderson. She said: "There has never been more interest in history among the public than now. Huge numbers of people love delving into the past and this is reflected in the mass media. Yet often the way historical events are portrayed is inaccurate or blurs fact and fiction. I wanted to devise a simple method for people to find out what really happened - straight from the academics who know."
So whether you're a youngster struggling with your history homework, or someone with a passion for the past, now you can ask the experts at Bath Spa University !
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