Victoria

This is fascinating, I think I had heard it before but forgot it:
www.abc.net.au/news/2015-09-06/australias-oldest-micro-nation-monarch-considers-retirement/6749604

I know about William Hutt because my parents used to live next door to Hutt Street in Hull. Then we found out we were related, so looked up his history. He was stepfather to John Bowes of the Bowes Museum, which we visit quite often.

durhamjen the list could go on for ever - I think most politicians etc had places, rivers, streets, named after them in Australia and probably New Zealand as well.
And there are so many places named after Queen Victoria, including the States of Victoria and Queensland.

Do you remember the craze when councillors here all had streets named after themselves? One way to get remembered, or for people to say 'Who? Never heard of him' (usually a 'him'!).

Jalima, you missed off William Hutt in your list of people who had places in Australia named after them.
He was MP for Hull at the same time as Wilberforce.
Hutt River and Hutt Lagoon were named after him, as well as various provinces in New Zealand.

bb I'm glad someone else remembers the programme. I think Melvyn Hayes was in it. There was a black guy who went on to other things, but, apart from Peter Firth, I can't remember anyone else.

Good theme tune, though.

I do, gettingon and wasn't there a girl with a long neck who wore glasses?

Anyone remember Peter Firth in a kids'show called the Double Deckers, set on a bus? He was very pretty, then...

Anyone remember Peter Firth in a kids'show called the Double Deckers, set on a bus? He was very pretty, then...

Lark Rise was a wonderful series as was Spooks loved them both. Victoria is good light entertainment, I agree that Victoria was probably prettier in her youth than as she is so often remembered as a grumpy rather plump lady. It's an entertainment programme not a documentary so not getting too hung up on details. Sorry purists amongst you.

I loved it! Have people read the book about her Dr? I think he was called James Reid. It gave a good insight into life at court in later years.

Sydney after Lord Sydney who decided Botany Bay was a good place to send all those pesky convicts
Melbourne after Lord Melbourne aka Rufus Sewell (whose father, incidentally, was Australian
Brisbane after Sir Thomas Brisbane
Cairns was named after William Wellington Cairns, Governor of Queensland from 1875-1877.
Darwin (after Charles Darwin) was originally called Palmerston
Adelaide after the wife of William IV

Wasn't Peter Firth in Spooks (and very good too)

Didn't Timothy Spall once play Margaret Rutherford TerriBull ?
I've only just got round to watching Victoria and I'm really enjoying it. It's a bit depressing to see how old some of the actors are getting though. I remember Peter Firth as a pretty blonde boy!

Richard Chamberlain? wild guess

After the British Home Secretary Lord Sydney 1789. Isn't Google wonderful, if only they'd pay their fair share of taxes but I digress, back to Victoria and all those who surrounded her. Yes I remember the "Lamb" film starring Sarah Miles and I believe Dr Kildare stepped into the role of Byron can't remember the actor's name.

Interesting to know how Melbourne (the city) got it's name. Now I'm wondering about Sydney

Melbourne's real name was William Lamb, hence being married to Lady Caroline Lamb.
Melbourne in Australia was named after him, not his dad.

Yes it was; she was very much the 'in' actress back then wasn't she. I suppose it wasn't long after my teenage obsession with reading Georgette Heyer regency romances.Newstead Abbey [Byrons pad] isn't a million miles away from here either.

Presumably Melbourne in Australia is named after him, or perhaps his father.

I remember the film about Lady Caroline Lamb, was it Sarah Miles?

Strangely enough, we drove past Melbourne Hall yesterday; seem to recall visiting it many years ago after seeing the film about Lady Caroline Lamb. Must revisit; Melbourne itself is a charming village.

Googling Lord Melbourne, I see he was married to Lady Caroline Lamb who had a fling with Lord Byron and I believe she coined that well known phrase about him "mad, bad and dangerous to know". The real Lord Melbourne looked nothing like Rufus Sewell, but then again Queen Victoria looked nothing like Jenna Coleman. If Timothy Spall could be persuaded to play a woman, he might be a good likeness for Q V, in her later years, he does sombre very well

Caroline Norton and Lord Melbourne helped change the law on divorce and whether a woman was entitled to anything if she divorced her husband.
They also helped change the law on whether a mother could keep her children after divorce. Before then the children belonged to the father, who could even have his mistress look after the children, but the mother wasn't allowed to.
Divorce was only for rich people, and the wife was not allowed to speak for herself in court.

Rufus.
I wonder who Rupert Sewell is.

I loved it. Not bothered about whether every detail is historically correct, and yes I'm also beguiled by Rupert Sewell's hooded eyes!

Has anyone else read The Criminal Conversation of Mrs Norton?

It's about whether Melbourne had an affair with Caroline Norton, obviously before Victoria came to the throne, as it was mentioned in the first part.
It really shows how women were treated in that era.

Really enjoying Victoria but can't wait for Poldark.