Article: Archive: Celebrity hero with a dash of scandal; Nelson, England's great naval hero, visited Birmingham 200 years ago. Chris Upton recalls the rapturous reception he received.(Features)

Byline: Chris Upton

Like it or not, we are living in the age of the celebrity. You need only look down the TV listings or along the magazine racks to see that. When did the British become fixated with the public face and private lives of its self-appointed heroes and villains? You could argue that it began exactly 200 years ago this month.

The celebrity concerned hardly fits the general model. He was already in his 43rd year and aging quickly and visibly. Nor was he particularly tall and handsome. Estimates suggest that his height was little more than 5ft ...

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