News Feed - Bristol Radical History Group

Bristol Local History Fair

Stalls Avon Local History & Archaeology Bishop Books Bristol Books Bristol Radical History Group Bristol Record Society Bygone Bristol Diesel, Dru Marland, Fiducia Frenchay Village Museum Long John Silver Trust Past & Present Press S Glos Mines Research Redcliffe Press Silverwood Tangent Books Talks 1.30pm William Fairney: Humphrey Davy 2.30pm Mark Steeds: Wulfstan and Clarkson 3.30pm Lucienne Boyce: The Bristol Suffragettes

Why was Charles I executed?

Justice, liberties and popular petitioning in 1648-49 The regicide of 1649 has often been presented by books, articles and TV dons as the result of religious beliefs related to the King's role as a 'Man of Blood', whose own blood must be shed to deliver England from the taint of killing and the fear of God's vengeance. However the evidence suggests a far more sophisticated political response rooted in the concepts of 'Justice and Liberties' displayed in both public and military petitions. […]

The Game of Drones + Unmanned

Game of Drones: The President and the White House Fly (Handsome Dog Productions, 2013). Investigative poem on topical issue of ‘Unmanned Aerial Vehicles’. Written by Heathcote Williams; Narration and Montage by Alan Cox; produced by Margaret Cox. Screening will be introduced by anti-Drone campaigner John from Bath Activist Network. About Heathcote Williams: "I'd say the overwhelming feature of these poems and perhaps of Williams' whole oeuvre is a sense of the development of an argument, either […]

Society for the Study of Labour History

"Founded in 1960, the Society for the Study of Labour History (SSLH) is the UK’s principal organisation dedicated to the study of labour history. Membership is open to everyone who would like to learn more about labour history and heritage whether on a professional or amateur basis. The SSLH publishes the journal the Labour History Review, organises regular conferences and actively promotes the preservation of historical resources connected to the labour movement."

Scottish Labour History Society

"Welcome to the website of the Scottish Labour History Society. We are an independent organisation unaffiliated with any political party, but have enjoyed strong practical, moral and financial support from the broader trade union, labour and co-operative movement for over half a century. We aim to strengthen these links, and we welcome new members and affiliates who can help us to: Promote labour and working class history; form and run regional labour history groups and workshops; expand our […]

North West Labour History Society

The North West Labour History Society was formed in 1973 to promote and popularise the knowledge and study of all aspects of labour history in the north west of England. Members and contributors to our journal include Trade Unionists, academics, students – ordinary people with a passion for our history. Our aims include the following: bringing together those interested in the history of the working class and its organisations, unions, co-operative societies or political bodies publishing an […]

North-East Labour History Society

"Founded in 1967, the North East Labour History Society is Britain's oldest regional labour history society. It is dedicated to the study of working people's history in the region, particularly during the modern period. We have a committee drawn up from labour historians and activists in the region. We encourage an atmosphere of debate and discussion on both historical and contemporary issues."

The Crimes of Walter Virgo and the “Blakeney Gang”

By Ian Wright

In the Forest of Dean towards the end of the nineteenth century the ‘Blakeney Outrages’ of the 1890s led to Walter Virgo and the “Blakeney Gang” being accused of acts of poisoning, maiming, stealing, poaching, midnight raids, dynamiting, arson and murder. However, their story cannot be understood without placing their actions in the historical context of the struggle for the customary right to common which in the past involved the use of direct action and political violence. A consideration of […]

Archive.org & Openlibrary.org

These are two related initiative that can be a great help when trying to do a little research form the comfort of ones own computer. Archive.org contains the Wayback Machine which archives snap shot of websites. You can thus see pages on websites as they used to be. However, archive.org also contains free and complete copies of many books that are out of copyright and in the public domain. Openlibrary.org aims to get "One web page for every book ever published". You can search for the details of […]

Alsatia

The idea is simple enough: to investigate the area of London known as Alsatia, and other similar ‘outlaw’ areas, their history, context and meanings. There are many tantalising references, but nothing substantial on the subject, so it offers challenges and rewards. Of course, I could just do some searching, some reading, and perhaps write an article or suchlike. But keeping track of all the fragments, questions and resonances requires some organization, and that in turn requires some tools. ... […]