Centre for the History of People, Place & Community

Historian Catherine Clarke’s new book, A History of England in 25 Poems (Penguin Allen Lane; a BBC Radio 4 Book of the Week in September 2025) uses poems written between the eighth century and today as portals into England’s past. And many of the poems take us into moments in the colourful history of London. In this talk, Catherine will reflect on how our understanding of history changes when we use poems as our time machines. And she’ll share some stories of London history from the book: from Dryden’s time capsule vision of a future London, written amid the ashes of the city in 1666, to Royalist banter at the end of the Interregnum, in the astonishingly scatological broadside ballad ‘Bum-fodder’ – and lots more. Join us to re-discover London and its history through these intimate and surprising poetic encounters. The evening will also include the opportunity to find out about the Victoria County History – England’s longest-running local history project, founded in 1899, and its work in London. Wednesday 1 October 2025, 6-7pm, Westminster Archives Centre https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/author-talk-re-discovering-london-through-a-history-of-england-in-25-poems-tickets-1524615679539

Join us on Weds 1 October to re-discover the #history of #London - from Annus Mirabilis to Bum-Fodder and much more... The evening will also be an opportunity to learn about the work of @vchlondon.bsky.social in London and how you can get involved, with me & Dr Francis Boorman. Book via the QR code.

One more week to apply for this job, in our friendly CHPPC / IHR team. Please contact Professor Catherine Clarke @cathamclarke.bsky.social if you have any queries about the role. #job #history #lecturer

https://www.history.ac.uk/news-events/events/celebrating-local-place-based-history-westmorland-250th-vch-big-red-book#:~:text=Event%20information%3E&text=In%20September%202025%2C%20the%20UK's,and%20community%20history%20more%20widely.

Join us online on 24 Sept to celebrate the 250th VCH Big Red Book! Founded in 1899, @vchlondon.bsky.social is writing the #history of every place in #England, with partners right across the country. We'll also celebrate #LocalHistory, #communityhistory & #place based history more widely. All welcome

Thanks to the City of Westminster Archives & to Dr Francis Boorman for this invite. Francis leads VCH Middlesex & is developing a new VCH project to cover all #London. He'll be there on 1 October to share more. #history @vchlondon.bsky.social @thelondonjournal.bsky.social @layersoflondon.bsky.social

I'm very happy to answer questions by email or chat to anyone who's interested in this job, in our brilliant, friendly @chppc.bsky.social team at @ihr.bsky.social. Send me a direct message or drop me an email via my IHR address. And please share!
#job #history #Skystorians #HistoricEnvironment

Stef Dickers and me - in front rows of VCH Big Red Books

The won Ceri Thompson with materials from the archive

Feminist pamphlets

1970s Free Palestine papers

Fabulous afternoon @bishopsgateinst.bsky.social with the @ihr.bsky.social #London #SummerSchool, exploring this year's theme of #Rebels ❤️

A packed Wolfson Room in the IHR for Matthew Worley's lecture last night

A packed house @ihr.bsky.social last night for the annual Derek Keene #London #Lecture (part of our London #SummerSchool week) from the brilliant Professor Matthew Worley (Reading) on #punk. Especially lovely to have lots of first-time visitors to the IHR - we hope to welcome you back!

Treasures in the library, from a 14th century minute book onwards

Standing in the grand entrance hall (loads of marble...)

Exploring the grand rooms of the Goldsmiths' Hall

Treasures in the library - not just books but 16th century Troy weights, early hallmarking stamps, designs and doodles, etc

Wonderful trip to Goldsmiths Hall, London, this afternoon as part of the @ihr.bsky.social #London #SummerSchool. Huge thanks to Eleni Bide (Head of Library & Archives) and colleagues for sharing treasures and stories of #rebels. And thanks to my IHR colleague @justincolson.bsky.social for leading.

Let's go! It's the @ihr.bsky.social #London #SummerSchool 2025 - this year on the theme of #Rebels. I'm standing by the amazing themed display created by my colleague @beccameriel.bsky.social (as every year). (Vintage #Playmobil my own 😊).

Fabulous themed displays for the @ihr.bsky.social #London #SummerSchool (2025 theme: #Rebels) from my brilliant colleagues @ihrlibrary.bsky.social. @miketownsend.bsky.social currently introducing participants to the collections before heading off to explore...

Lecturer in Historic Environment:London Senate House

#Job alert! Come and join us for 12 months in our lovely @chppc.bsky.social team @ihr.bsky.social. We're seeking a fixed-term #Lecturer in Historic Environment, who'll work on @vchlondon.bsky.social projects & more. Closing date 29 August. Please share!
www.jobs.london.ac.uk/Job/JobDetai...

https://www.history.ac.uk/news-events/events/doing-history-with-poetry

You're invited! Join us for the launch of my new #book and this amazing #event on Tues 9 Sept. I'll be in conversation with award-winning poet Hannah Lowe on 'Doing #History with #Poetry', chaired by @ihr.bsky.social Director @clairelanghamer.bsky.social. Book free: www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...

Note: in the title as originally advertised, 'Lady Karens' was given in quote marks, which are no longer visible on the online recording header. We recognise this is fraught and difficult language and Tre's paper explicitly, critically unpacks uses, origins and politics of this term (see recording).

"You Can't Sit With Us": Austen's Lady Karens and the British Slave Trade CHPPC Layers of London Map

It was brilliant to host Tre Ventour-Griffiths in our seminar series earlier this term, talking about the ways in which adaptations of #Austen novels have overlooked her female characters’ role as (absentee) enslavers. The recording is now available here www.history.ac.uk/news-events/...

Info at: https://www.history.ac.uk/ihr-london-rebels

Last call for the @ihr.bsky.social #London #SummerSchool - bookings close this evening! Join us for lectures, workshops, special visits and a week exploring London's rich #history through its #Rebels. From medieval uprisings to punk & much, much more...
www.history.ac.uk/ihr-london-r...

Foos yer doos (look it up if you don't know 😄)

Lovely evening with the kindest and most generous of colleagues @linseyhunter.bsky.social, down for @themamoconf.bsky.social. Too busy chatting to take a photo, but I love my pin badge - as well as the care package of #Scottish treats Linsey brought for the whole @chppc.bsky.social team ❤️

Our Dr Iain Robertson, Dr Philippa Woodcock and @juliettedesportes.bsky.social all travelled to Newcastle in April for a workshop on place-based public history. Organised by our Dr Robertson and Dr Ruth Slatter from @chppc.bsky.social, you can read more about the event in the original post below ⬇️

RSMSJ events in Mayfair & St James, London, UK Events | RSMSJ events in Mayfair & St James, London, UK

Are you interested in the history of #London? #Francisboorman from #VCH London will be giving a lecture on the development of #Mayfair as a London Suburb on 15.07.25 for the Residents’ Society of Mayfair & St James’s. More info here www.rsmsj.com/events

Great to see this blog post mention several members of the #VCH community who attended the workshop & shared their practical experiences of engaging in #placebased #publichistory

This was a really warm & collaborative event, which highlighted the value of historians working in all sectors coming together & sharing their experiences of the joys & challenges of collaborative research. Thank you to everyone who came along & generously engaged in the workshop in this spirit!

Thank you so much also to @vchlondon.bsky.social colleagues from @wiltshistory.bsky.social, #Cumbria & #Essex who came to this event & shared their invaluable insights into doing #placebased #publichistory

Place-Based Public and Community History   - On History In this blog post, Ruth Slatter (from the IHR’s Centre for the History of People, Place and Community) and Iain Robertson (from the University of Highlands and Islands’ Centre for History) reflect on ...

It was a pleasure to collaborate with @uhihistory.bsky.social colleagues in April to run a workshop on place-based public history & share our ongoing research into public history in the Highlands & Islands. You can now read more about this here blog.history.ac.uk/2025/06/plac...

Many thanks to Tre for sharing in such an open & personal way in this seminar last night. So much food for thought in his reflections on how the representation of white women in Austen screen adaptations is another way of dismissing the violence & trauma of enslavement. Recording coming soon.

Researching Place-Based Religious Histories Beyond the Parish Church (2) – Catholicism

Are you interested in researching the histories of #Catholicism in particular villages, towns & cities in the UK? This recording of a training session we recently ran in collaboration with @catholicrs.bsky.social is for you www.history.ac.uk/podcasts/res...

The next event in our summer events series will take place 11.06.25, 5.30-7pm (BST), online only. Tre Ventour-Griffiths will explore female absentee enslavers in #JaneAusten ‘s novels. Everyone is welcome. Use the link below to sign up 👇

The lengths our researchers go to…!

I’m really looking forward to chairing this session in a couple of weeks time. Tre is an innovative ECR who is asking important new questions across various aspects of his research into Black communities in the history of Britain’s rural spaces.

The next event in our summer events series will take place 11.06.25, 5.30-7pm (BST), online only. Tre Ventour-Griffiths will explore female absentee enslavers in #JaneAusten ‘s novels. Everyone is welcome. Use the link below to sign up 👇

This is happening tomorrow 28.05.25. Online only. Everyone is welcome. Use the link below to sign up 👇

Yes :)