Oundle & District u3a Monthly Meeting
The Century of Deception: The Birth of the Hoax in 18th century England
Ian Keable, a professional magician, explores the phenomenon of the seemingly gullible people of England during the 1700s. Hoaxes included the belief that a woman could give birth to rabbits and a man could climb inside a two pint bottle and sing in it. This entertaining talk focuses on these hoaxes, the motives of the tricksters and how they got away with it, demonstrating that when it comes to fake news and conspiracy theories there is nothing new.