Harry in Middle Fifth won the local round of the Historical Association’s Great Debate competition held at Exeter Cricket Club on the evening of Monday 29 January 2024. The brief was to talk for 5 minutes and then face questions on “Which historical place or person from your local area deserves greater recognition?”
Harry chose to talk about Roman Exeter, in particular the military baths, and how since their discovery in the 1970s there has been little local or national awareness of their existence. He explored reasons for this, and possible solutions, as well as mentioning the city wall and Roman roads. Harry then fielded questions from the judging panel about his talk, which he handled calmly and convincingly. In winning he was commended on his strong public speaking, clear grasp of the brief and his knowledge of the chosen topic. He now goes forward to the semi-finals next month. We wish you all the very best. Well done Harry!
