News Feed - Bristol Radical History Group

Future Song: a thrutopian vision of near-future Bristol

Dystopian visions far outnumber utopian visions in literature, and my last novel, Vampires of Avonmouth, is no exception. Set late this century between Avonmouth, which has become a vertiginous mega-city, and a part of future West Africa corresponding to today's Accra, climate change is all too real, yes. But the 2087 world of the book is also pervaded by shoddy AI; it's run by technology corporations; and everyone's brains are directly connected to the internet. In effect, the first two of […]

Radical Abundance and How We Get it

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Capitalism has created a world of bullshit abundance, where we have too much of what we don’t need and too little of what we do. Through this system’s relentless pursuit of profits, we have been put on a collision course with social and ecological limits that can no longer be ignored. We need an alternative. We need radical abundance, a world of human and non-human flourishing made possible by democratically planned production. But radical abundance can’t just be voted into existence through […]

Woman Magic 2026

Ecofeminist posters from women artists weaving between Bristol, Wales & Sweden (1968-1983)

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‘Moving from politics to magick we were still radical in our thinking’, in the words of artists Beverley Skinner, Anne Berg, Marika Tell and Monica Sjöö The works include radical visionary symbolism that mitigates against ecological crisis and social justice, openly campaigning for marginalised groups. The group of women artists that formed initially Woman Power then Woman Magic in Bristol in the 70s were advocates for a collaborative society that valued this form of interconnectivity, holistic […]

Jenkin Morgan: Chartist Scarecrow

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The aftermath of the armed Chartist rising in November 1839, which ended in fighting at the Westgate Hotel in Newport, saw the inevitable state repression unleashed. The stories of the Chartist leaders John Frost, Zephaniah Williams and William Jones, who were sentenced to death and then transported are well known, but what of the others? Jenkin Morgan has become part of the invisible landscape of Welsh Chartism. This Pillgwenlly milkman and tallow chandler was initially sentenced to be hung, […]

Causes and Characters of the Chartist Riot in Llanidloes, Mid Wales in 1839

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The Newport Rising in November 1839 is the most celebrated event in early Chartism linked to Wales. But it marked the disappointing end of a year which had opened with high expectations from the General Convention of the Industrious Classes and the presentation of the National Charter to Parliament. Less renowned, but no less significant, were events in Llanidloes, Montgomeryshire earlier in April, when attempts to arrest local Chartist leaders led to a riot in which the established forces of […]

Ireland: The Silent Voices

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This ground-breaking documentary, originally made in 1983 for Channel 4 at the height of the war in Ireland, provided a critical counter-narrative to the pro-British propaganda spouted by most of the mainstream media in this country. Rarely seen, Ireland: The Silent Voices (80 mins), focuses on the stories and perspectives of ordinary people actively or passively involved in the conflict. In three parts, the film analyses the representation of the conflict on TV in Britain and in Europe. It […]

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.

The Spies Who Ruined Our Lives

In collaboration with the Bristol Radical History Group, we take a deep-dive into the SpyCops scandal. For over 40 years, British undercover agents spied on people in the UK and many other countries. The police unit infiltrated more than 1,000 activist groups (and victims including the family of Stephen Lawrence). To carry out their spying, the police stole the identities of deceased children. Under false identities, they started relationships with women, had sexual relations and even children. […]

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.

Gafael Tir – A history of land rights and protest in Wales

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Gafael Tir, the Welsh sister show to the popular Three Acres and a Cow, is presented in collaboration with Bristol Radical History Group. The show explores the history of ‘y werin’ (the Welsh common folk) and their struggle for a better life. Their tales are told and old ballads sung as we meet kings, crossdressing farmers, radical preachers, land workers and unions; a thousand years of history. Drawing on Welsh folk arts, the show touches on politics, human rights, freedom of thought and […]