Ruskin College, Oxford has had a profound effect on the development of adult education -- and the college has earned for itself an international reputation. The original home of lifelong learning. Ruskin has been a unique institution, due to its particular ethos and the nature of its intake.Ruskin has also been the site of public history in the making, through the participation of its members in battles over education, community activity and civil rights movements. Its close labour movement links have meant it has been a formative influence on the development of such leading public figures as John Prescott, while it has also been inspirational for a range of other radical and dissenting voices.This collection of essays reflects on the contribution that Ruskin has made in the fields of education and politics and is the first account of what is often called 'the Ruskin experience'. Avoiding the 'top down' commemorative historical approach, it assesses the significance of Ruskin through theexperiences of students and staff.