Today, it’s hard not to know what’s going on in the world of movies, theatre and entertainment. Every day we are surrounded and bombarded with adverts for new films and plays: on buses, newspapers, clothes and buildings. But in a past age of great entertainment, how did they draw the crowds? The Elizabethan heyday saw […]
There are a number of unwritten rules that surface during an American Presidential Election with alarming alacrity. A small town in New Hampshire will be the first to declare its results after the 34 voters have cast their ballots, no Republican wins without taking Ohio’s 18 Electoral College votes, and the calamitous inevitability of something […]
President of the History Society Jamie Lawless speaks candidly to Henry Lee about life in the public eye, ‘that ball’ in 2012 and how he’s got himself back on track in 2013 in his first public interview. For a man with such responsibility on his shoulders, on first impressions Jamie Lawless has the demeanour of […]
Charlotte Johnson looks at the recent discoveries made about it’s furniture, curios and paintings at Chetham’s Library. Jennifer Nuttall discovers one of Manchester’s most historically significant and aesthetically awesome libraries. We look at Chetham’s library — the historian’s aphrodisiac. Want a new archive to track down those elusive ‘primary sources’ your lecturers keep nagging you […]
In 2017-2018 the UK government introduced its commitment to a ‘Equality diversity and Inclusion’ initiative in their employment structure for the HS2 project. This commitment incorporated an employment system known as ‘Blind Auditioning’ which is an Affirmative Action method of screening job applicants based strictly on the candidate’s skills and qualifications. Therefore, employers have no access […]
Most of us love the presents, the seasonal films, the chance to spend time with family and friends. But for millions across Britain one of the most thrilling parts of the Christmas festivities takes place long after the presents have been opened. Christmas Dinner! Food at Christmas is a long, global and often surprising tradition […]
There are few bigger questions than that of the meaning of life. Why do we exist, possess aspiration, and abide by certain ethics? For centuries, the answers to these questions have been provided by something many now regard as simplistic and irrational: religion. In 1882, this orthodoxy was challenged by a new philosophical movement symbolised […]
Al Murray is a writer and comedian famous for his alter ego The Pub Landlord. He has a keen interest in history having graduated from Oxford with a degree in Modern History. His new book, Watching War Films With My Dad, is out now. Where did your interest in history originally come from? Well, I […]
South Sudan is the newest country in the world, but it does not seem to hold much promise for a bright future. Desperately poor, unstable, and suffering from shockingly high infant mortality rates, the country suffers from problems that are fruit of its colonial roots. Through fear of losing control of the Nile and the […]
In 2017, the Declaration on the Common Language was signed. It marks a culmination of attempts to counter nationalistic factions in the Western Balkans and a move towards a discussion of language, independent of nationalist tendencies. Language politics has been an important factor in the creation of the new national identities which have emerged out […]
R. H. Macy’s department store, New York. Christmas 1910 (Bain Collection/Library of Congress) Binns department store, Newcastle. Christmas 1966 (Tyne & Wear Archives and Museums/Flickr) Lord & Taylor’s department store, New York. Christmas 1946 (State Archives of North Carolina/Flickr) Callers department store, Newcastle. Christmas 1964 (Tyne & Wear Archives and Museums/Flickr) Marshall Field & Company […]
In the month since issue 9 was published the trees have lost their leaves, the nights have drawn in and the days keep getting colder. At this time of year many of us turn to all kinds of sources for comfort and in this issue we’ve focused on one of our favourites – baking. We’ve […]
Throughout the lengthy development of historical academic fields, there has often persisted the notion of an underlying patriarchal bias. The scope of research being conducted has often had an institutionalized predisposition to focus upon male scholars, figures and ideas, leading to the neglect of the vital roles women have played throughout history. Women campaigning for […]
If you have been following the news recently, then the story of French president Francois Hollande’s affair with actress Julie Gayet will be a familiar story. France’s first lady, Valerie Trierweiler, was consequently hospitalised reportedly due to the shock. It is, of course, not the first time that something like this has happened in modern […]
