From Menageries to Mandrill Mayhem
Dr Peter Robinson
- Region:
- Anywhere
- Notice Period:
- Emergency (maybe less than one week's notice)
- Type:
- Professional
- Fee:
- Paid: £150 plus travel expenses at 50p/mile for a journey of more than 10 miles.
- Category:
- History
- Updated:
- 11th July 2026
- Tagged:
- Theme Park | Menagerie | Zoo | Leisure Park
Why do we visit zoos? How did amusement parks become a British obsession? And why are theme parks among the country's most popular tourist attractions?
This lively and richly illustrated talk explores the fascinating evolution of Britain's visitor attractions, revealing how changing tastes, new technologies and entrepreneurial vision created some of the nation's most memorable leisure experiences.
Beginning with the exotic menageries of the eighteenth century and the spectacular pleasure gardens of Georgian Britain, the talk charts the emergence of public zoological gardens, Victorian amusement parks, seaside entertainment, safari parks and today's multi-million-pound theme parks. Along the way we discover the visionaries, showmen, engineers and conservationists who transformed family entertainment over three centuries.
Far more than simply places of amusement, these attractions reflect Britain's changing society. They tell stories of industrialisation, rising prosperity, technological innovation, conservation, tourism and our enduring desire to escape the ordinary.
Illustrated throughout with rare photographs, posters, advertisements and archive material, this talk offers a nostalgic yet thought-provoking journey through Britain's most spectacular visitor attractions.
Views: 16 | Enquiries: 0About Dr Peter Robinson
Peter is Head of Events, Tourism and Hospitality Management at Leeds Beckett University. Peter’s expertise covers visitor attractions, transport operations, heritage, visitor experience, tourism landscapes, urban and rural regeneration and placemaking, business development and Cold War tourism. In 2021 Peter was Awarded the Victor Middleton Prize for Education and Scholarship by the Association for Tourism in Higher Education (ATHE).
He is also an award-winning author and has published both academic books and peer-reviewed journals, as well as books covering a range of transport, tourism and landscape histories. He is also a features writer for a number of publications and has appeared on several television and radio programmes discussing the travel and tourism industry. Peter has been involved with policy work with DCMS, the Department for Education, the Department for Transport and VisitBritain. Peter owns a consultancy business that delivers work for organisations across multiple industry sectors worldwide. He has owned businesses in photography, travel, ICT, waste management, and publishing, and owns a toy and collectables retailer - Midland Models.
Peter is a Fellow of the Tourism Management Institute and the Yorkshire and Humber representative, a Fellow of the Tourism Society, a Fellow of the Institute of Travel and Tourism, and a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He is Co-Chair of The Association for Tourism in Higher Education (ATHE), a Director of The Institute of Travel and Tourism and he represents ATHE on the Tourism Society Board. He is Chair of the Tourism Consultants Network and is also part of the ABTA Working Group on skills and qualifications. Peter is regularly invited to speak at conferences about education policy, placemaking and heritage management. He is Chair and Founding Director of The Cold War network, Chair of The Elvaston Castle and Gardens Trust and a Trustee for the 131st Derby Scouts.
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