Has commemorating history become 'cynical'?

This year it’s the 400th anniversary of the death of William Shakespeare, the centenary of the Somme offensive and 950 years since the Battle of Hastings - but why do we commemorate these dates?

Anna Eavis, curatorial director at English Heritage and Suzannah Lipscomb, head of History at the New College of the Humanities, debated on the Today programme the value of these anniversaries.

"There can be a sense that this is a bit cynical, that it's too much for commercial gain" Ms Lipscomb told the programme, "it turns people off".

I would make no apology for trying to engage as many people as possible about history," Ms Eavis said, the crucial thing is the quality and scope of the storytelling".