Lasting memories of the American Civil War (1861-65) challenge the view that ’History is written by the victors’. War leaders’ statues, in both the South (the Confederacy) and the North, were revered as those showing the righteousness of their particular … Read More
The Eurovision Song Contest catches headline news. In the early days when families sat round their relatively new TV set it was a one night programme from a concert hall. Seven countries competed in the first contest in 1956. By … Read More
Coppergate excavations at York were drawing visitors by 1980. This was an enormous site. Interest in Roman York and the medieval Minster were no longer the main places to visit. When the Jorvik Viking Centre opened in 1984 the evidence … Read More
This picture from Sheffield in1820 suggests cricket was well established. The team, the wickets, the crowd, the imposing Club House -just what was expected. However, this match at Sheffield was not typical. Yorkshire in the 18th century lagged many years … Read More
Observers of 19th-century cities frequently wrote about ‘urban types’, the new kinds of human beings they found in these new conurbations, with their own distinctive physiognomies and folkways. This habit has not gone away and in this talk I will … Read More
Harold 11 (Harold of Wessex) is crowned at Westminster in early 1066, the first picture of an English coronation, as recorded in the Bayeux Tapestry. The coronation of Charles III is the latest of a long, long series of coronations … Read More
The Italian Renaissance saw the growth of a culture of celebrity and influence, in some ways very similar to trends in western society today. The High Renaissance of Rome in the late 15th and early 16th centuries with the influence … Read More
The BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) has lived up to its title. A corporate broadcasting service for Britain. What has this given us? The BBC was established in October 1922, and began broadcasting in November 1922. One of the BBC’S statements … Read More
Say ‘George Orwell’ and most people remember reading Animal Farm, then say ‘All pigs are equal: some are more equal than others’. 1984 is another book from which some enjoy taking ominous references to the ‘thought police’. Professor Glenn Burgess … Read More
Join us on a guided walk to unique places in Barton upon Humber. Our guided visit is in the morning, and after lunch you can explore other places. Tyrwhitt Hall is our first call. A late mediaeval hall, whose original … Read More
