Join us for an evening of performance and lively discussion connected to the recently published book Haunting Ashton Court: A Creative Handbook for Collective History-Making, inspired by a community youth theatre project that took place at the mansion across Winter 2022. The evening will include performances from a company of young Bristolians responding to the gaps and silences in the official archives of Ashton Court Estate, followed by a panel Q&A with the young people involved, chaired […]
Not A BRHG Event
After a four year hiatus the fourth Dorset Radical Bookfair will take place from 11:00 to 17:00 on Saturday 7th October 2023 at Bad Hand Coffee warehouse just off the Bournemouth Triangle (BH2 5RT). Free entry to the public, with Vegan food for donations all day. Along with bookstalls (including BRHG) there are some history related talks including: 12:00 ~ 13:00 Confessions Of a Non-violent Revolutionary: Bean Stew, Blisters, Blockades and Benders. The true story of a peace activist in […]
In collaboration with performers and historians from south of the river, Bristol Radical History Group (BRHG) are putting on a series of events over the autumn of 2023 uncovering hidden histories of south Bristol. The Bedminster-Southville history festival in October features history talks, a walk and an exhibition exploring the radical face of Bedminster before and after WW1, hidden histories of Ashton Court Estate and West Street, the storming of the New Gaol in 1831, women prisoners from […]
Not A BRHG Event
Rosemary Caldicott and Mark Steeds will be speaking at the Colonialism and Memory in Bristol. Join us for a public workshop on colonialism and memory in Bristol. Moving between the museum, the city, and space for discussion and reflection, we’ll be asking what decolonisation means, what it might look like in practice, as well as the challenges facing these efforts. Join us at the M Shed in Bristol on 1st July, The workshop is free and refreshments and lunch will be provided, but space is limited […]
Not A BRHG Event
Stephen Hunt of Bristol Radical History Group will be speaking at the Clevedon Literary Festival. From the website: Stephen Hunt, author of Angela Carter’s Provincial Bohemia, will explore how Carter’s experiences during the 1960s strongly influenced her development as a writer and will discuss how in recent years we have begun to memorialise her residence in the area. Steve is a member of Bristol Radical History Group and has written several highly acclaimed pamphlets on Bristol artistic […]
Not A BRHG Event
Books and more! The Bristol Radical History Group book stall is again pleased to be at the latest Bristol Radical Bookfair, this Saturday 13th May, from 11am to 3.30pm. This is the latest in a series of local Radical Bookfairs co-ordinated by Active Distribution, and hosted by the Exchange Bristol, at 72-73 Old Market, Bristol, BS2 0EJ. Full details are on the headfirst bristol listings, and on the Active FB event, which promises... You'll find new and second hand titles, kids books, novels, […]
Charles Fletcher: Gypsy, Orphan, Forest of Dean Miner and Socialist
In this article, the short life of Charles Fletcher is used as a lens to explore aspects of the labour movement in Chepstow and the Forest of Dean in the early twentieth century. It starts with Fletcher’s experiences as an orphan in Bristol and ends with his early death following his role as a witness in one of the most sensational murder trials of the 1920s.
History is important, people are important and individuals are important. When people pass, we have moments of instant memorialisation, the obituaries are written, and then often we forget, or the memory of that person passes into the background as the noise and bustle of life continues. We can forget the impact, the power, the energy and the force that people can wield with their creative endeavours. Mark Stewart is someone we must never forget, but also one whose impact and legacy are all […]
Slavery Wealth and the Beginnings of Bristol’s Diocesan Board of Education
Following the money generated from slavery, transferred and transmuted into UK spending, is usually difficult. Yet sometimes unmistakable glimpses appear. When they do, where the money goes can sometimes be surprising. Almost 80 years ago, Eric Williams’s claim that wealth from slavery helped fund Britain’s industrial revolution was considered controversial. Today it is widely accepted, and now the debate is more about estimating how significant was the extent. Slavery wealth is also known to […]
From local councillor to welfare benefits adviser, radio presenter and campaigner for the rights of older people, Judith is a dynamo who doesn’t stop, despite being in her eighties. Judith was interviewed by Trish Mensah for the Activist Memories series, supported by Bristol Older People’s Forum. The Activist Memories series captures, through oral history interviews, the life experience of those who have fought for a better world.
