News Feed - Bristol Radical History Group

Subversion of the US Armed Forces in the Vietnam War (1961-73)

By Roger Ball

Slides from an introduction to the film Sir! No Sir! shown by Bristol Indymedia at the Cube on Monday 2nd March. Download the pfd file here.

Plaque Prize Draw

By Randell Brantley

To raise the last few pounds needed to pay for the Seven Stars plaque we have organised a prize draw. Tickets are £1 each and available from the Seven Stars pub in Redcliffe, the Beaufort Arms in Hawkesbury Upton and from members of BRHG. If you would like to get hold of some tickets email brg@brh.org.uk. The prize list keeps growing with each generous donation. At pressent the list is as follows: A reconditioned mountain bike from Tadman's Cycles. A bottle of very good champagne A case of […]

The Seven Stars Plaque Update

By Randell Brantley

The new plaque for the Seven Stars is progressing well and is due to go to the foundry next Tuesday. Below is a photo of the plaque in Mike Baker's workshop. A day of festivities has been planned at the Seven Stars for Friday 1st May 2009 with the plaque being unveiled at 12:30pm and a 'wet the plaques head' party in the evening. However, the plaque has not quite been paid for yet and funraising continues. If you would like to make a donation please email brh@brh.org.uk. ***Please note that the […]

The Spring 2009 Programme Of Events

By Randell Brantley

Bristol Radical History Group offers a quality blend of events for Spring 2009, covering both historical and contemporary issues. We begin with future utopian visions (Nowtopia), consider the hidden histories of seminal events of the 1980s (Hillsborough and The Miners' Strike) and champion revolutionary thinkers who our rulers afear'd (Thomas Paine). To top it all we will be unveiling a plaque on the Seven Stars Pub to commemorate the abolitionist Thomas Clarkson and the Bristol sailors who blew […]

After Hillsborough

By Randell Brantley

FA Cup Semi Final Day Liverpool v Nottingham Forest 15 April 1989 At Hillsborough This April is the 20th anniversary of the Hillsborough football disaster which killed 96 Liverpool fans and injured hundreds more. 20 years on, few people know what actually happened and the (now admitted) lies told by the Police to the press at the time remain many people's memory of events. The coroner and the inquiry narrowly restricted their investigations. Numerous Judges have thwarted attempts by the […]

Sir No Sir

By Randell Brantley

Monday 2nd March 2009 8pm @ Cube Cinema, Stokes Croft, Bristol. Bristol Indymedia Film Night: Sir! No Sir! Introduced by Bristol Radical History Group Entry £3/£4 (but nobody refused entry for a lack of funds.) "Super Troopers: A Vietnam War doc with powerful contemporary parallels" - Bill Gallo, The Village Voice Mass desertions! Demonstrations! Refusal to go into battle! Antiwar Newspapers! If you thought that resistance to war came from activist groups, social movements and campaigns then […]

The South Bank Show

By Randell Brantley

Paul Tickell the film director who spoke at our events in 2007 sent us this message... FEB 8 SUN 10.15pm ITV SOUTH BANK SHOW The film about Shakespeare's TEMPEST: imperialism, magic and the wreck of the Sea Venture... Interviewees include Peter Linebaugh and Silvia Federici...

The King Is Dead… So Have A Beer

By Randell Brantley

To mark the 360 anivarsary of the execution of King Charles I Who's Afear'd are proud to present an evening of music and merryment at The Seven Stars Pub, Thomas Lane, Redcliffe. It starts at 8:30pm on Saturday 31st January and there is a suggested donation of 2 pounds which will go towards The Seven Stars Plaque fund. Click here To Find out more about the Seven Stars Plaque fund.

Captain Swing Reconsidered: forty years of rural history from below

By Randell Brantley

Our friend Steve Poole from UWE is involved in organising the following event: A Southern History Society Conference University of Reading, UK March 21st 2009 The anniversary this year of E. J. Hobsbawm and George Rudé's Captain Swing offers a timely opportunity to reflect upon the development of rural histories from below over the last four decades. Please see full programme details and booking form at

Some Forthcomming Events

By Randell Brantley

The Bristol Wirelss Pirate Radio Talk Bristol Wireless will be hosting a fascinating talk on UK Pirate Radio in the 1960's and 70's on Wednesday 14th Jan at 8pm in The Zoo Bar, St Werburghs Community Center. Our Treasurer Julien Weston will be talking of how and why the pirate stations came about, their fascinating and ongoing conflict with the UK government and the draconian measures the government eventually took to get the North Sea broadcasters off the air once and for all. The talk will […]