The Pleasures and Perils of Smoking in Calverley’s “Ode to Tobacco”
Politicians now promise a “smoke-free” UK, but one Cambridge plaque suggests an alternative plan: doctors be damned, “take a fresh cigar!”
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York Asylum in Flames: Godfrey Higgins and the Abuse Scandal of 1813
In the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower Inquiry, we look at another historic struggle to assign blame for shocking neglect and a deadly fire.
King’s Manor: From School for the Blind to Accessibility Blackspot
Accessibility costs are impacting one of York’s iconic buildings, but this isn’t the first time it has struggled to accommodate disability.
#Fake: The Zimbabwe Bird and Cecil Rhodes’ Legacy
Cecil Rhodes’ false history of an iconic artefact, and the real story of how contemporary Zimbabweans view his legacy.
The Hidden History of Oxford’s Jewish Community
An unassuming memorial stone near the entrance to the Oxford Botanic Garden marks the site …
Anne Lister: Lesbian Icon or Enemy of the Working Class?
In the historic city of York, tucked away off the busy shopping street of Goodramgate, …
The End of Oriental Studies: The Rise and Fall of an Oxford Faculty
In late September 2022, Oxford University’s Faculty of Oriental Studies changed its name to the …
Death, Taxes, and Other Uncertainties
In Oxford, the River Thames is reborn as the Isis, sharing its name with the …
Unburying an Archaeologist: the Forgotten Story of Hormuzd Rassam
Hormuzd Rassam is not a name which will be familiar to most Oxford residents and …
An Eighty-Year Wait to Graduate: Women at Cambridge
Historically, women have only had a formal presence in the university setting for the last …
Cecil Rhodes and the Religion of Race
It is hard to deny that the achievements of Cecil John Rhodes were remarkable. He …
Cecil Rhodes: Where we’re going, we don’t need Rhodes.
Thousands of protesters stood, knelt, and sat in solidarity at the Rhodes Must Fall protest …
