Blog - Bristol Radical History Group

Two new titles from Breviary Stuff

By Roger

Two new interesting titles from the 'independent publisher of radical history, working-class history, history from below', Breviary Stuff who have done a great job in making classics of social and political history accessible and publishing lots of new material. The latest two titles, bring us a case study of Victorian policing in Huddersfield Beats, Backstreets and Brothels by David Taylor and Persisting in the Truth by Andrew Shields, a biographical study of Irish activist journalist Peter […]

They inspired us #2 – Christopher Hill and The World Turned Upside Down

By Roger

Find out about why it was the English Revolution and not just the English Civil War. Discover the 'third force' of the period, Levellers, Diggers, Ranters, Religious Radicals and the rebellious New Model Army that frightened the Royalists and Parliamentarians alike with their 'communist' ideas. Absolute classic, to be read aloud to your mates on stormy nights (with a few beers). (BRHG).....And what a book this is, an absolute must read.

They inspired us #1 – past tense – The Southwark Pudding Wonder

By Alex (Past Tense)

Excellent flyer produced by one of our progenitors, past tense (and still going strong), who helped inspire Bristol Radical History Group to form in 2006.

Press releases: Standing up for the forgotten & Pauper burials

By Roger Ball, Mike Jempson

The following two press releases have been released this week (07 December 2025) and can be downloaded in pdf format here: Press release 1: Bristol Press release 2: National Press release 1: Bristol Pauper burials in private and public cemeteries in Bristol New research – Ridgeway Park, Greenbank and Arnos Vale In 2015, to great public interest, Eastville Workhouse Memorial Group (EWMG) released details of more than 4,000 paupers who had been buried in unmarked graves in Rosemary Green, […]

Obituary: Samuel Paradiso

By Roger

Samuel Paradiso was brought up in the Fishponds area of east Bristol. His love of his ‘manor’ played a large part in his life, ranging from his legendary ‘border patrols’, checking no one from BS5 had sneaked into BS16[1], to the local history in his website ‘Boy from Fishponds’.[2] He knew Fishponds inside out and revelled in directing me around using secret short cuts, telling me stories of its hidden heroes and showing me the concealed ‘Lido’ that once had a bar on stilts, or so they say. […]

Mass meeting on the Downs – 16 May 1926

By Richard Musgrove

On 16 May 1926, in the wake of the calling off of the General Strike four days earlier, a mass meeting was held in the evening on Durdham Down. A demonstration had been formed on Old Market which then marched the two and a half miles to the Downs for a rally with speeches in support of the still locked-out miners. Though details of the meeting are scarce, it must have been of considerable size, with the Western Daily Press reporting on the 17 May that there were 15 speakers spread across three […]

General Strike 100

By Rob Whitfield

May 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of the nine day 'General Strike'. This solidarity action was an attempt by the Trades Union Congress (TUC) to prevent wage reductions and increasingly bad working conditions for 1.2 million coal miners who had already been locked-out by their employers. Around 1.7 million workers, mainly in transport and heavy industry, responded and the country was confronted with explicit class war. Bristol Radical History Group are delighted to be a part of the General […]

Mike Levine

By Ian Wright

This obituary for Mike Levine mainly concentrates on the development of his political ideas and activities, rather than his personal life and career. Michael (Mike) Robin Levine was born in August 1938 in London, the son of Dorian and Sadie, who were the children of Jews who had migrated from Eastern Europe to Glasgow at the turn of the century. Mike was born a month before the ‘Munich Agreement’, which promised to avert the start of war in Europe, but subsequently led to the Holocaust. Dorian […]

More Blacks, More Dogs, More Irish, More Ciaran Walshes: An Obituary

By e2windsor

Ciaran Walsh, Stag and Hounds, Old Market 2020

We are mourning due to the sudden and shock recent passing of our dear comrade and fellow radical historian, Ciaran Walsh. Ciaran was a force of nature; a proud internationalist and spirited anti-monarchist. He was a tireless activist for social justice in all contexts, whether fighting to defend his local community centre or showing international solidarity with Palestine. He would stand up in the struggle against racism and fascism, whenever and wherever they arose. Ciaran organised radical […]

Behind the Scenes at the Bristol Radical History Festival

By Rosie Wild

I don’t know about the other organisers but I always wake up with a big feeling of relief the Monday after the Bristol Radical History Festival. Now in its seventh year, the festival gets bigger and more ambitious each time. In the week before I always feel a gnawing worry of ‘are we really going to pull it off this year?’ Luckily for us, the answer so far has always been: yes we are! Loads of work by loads of people goes into organising the Bristol Radical History Festival. It’s all done […]