Normansfield history talk and reception

On 20th September 2018 we held an event to complement the summer exhibition on the subject of Normansfield. A drinks reception in the Library gave people the chance to meet and to view the exhibition. It was followed by an illustrated talk in Bullen Hall by Ian Jones-Healey, the archivist of Normansfield.

Ian’s talk took the remarkable history of Normansfield and its founders as a startpoint for a fascinating review of how learning disabilities have been perceived and treated over the past two centuries, ending with some thought provoking questions for our own time. We were reminded of the significance of Normansfield as a local landmark building, as a radical institution pioneering new approaches to mental health and as a major local employer in the past.

We are grateful to Ian for his talk and we highly recommend the work and programme of events that he helps organise at the Langdon Down Museum of Learning Disability, housed at Normansfield.

Thank you to everyone who came along and helped make this an enjoyable, friendly and interesting evening at the Library.

The exhibition can still be viewed in Hampton Wick Library until October.