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.
Tolkien and the refugees of Middle Earth
‘The Lord of the Rings’ is cited as an inspirational text by both friends and foes of asylum seekers, but what does it really say?
Ghost Stories of York and the Haunting of Empire
Ghost tourism is big business in York, but is there a way for it to tackle the spectres of the city’s imperial past?
Oxford’s Activist Pasts and Present: In Solidarity with Oxford Action for Palestine
How Oxford Action for Palestine’s encampment follows on from recent student protest movements, ranging from Rhodes Must Fall to Transforming Silence
Captain Cook: Yorkshire Hero, Global Antihero
Venture beyond York to understand the legacy of one of North Yorkshire’s most famous sons, Captain James Cook
#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.
A Portrait Attacked: Sectarianism on Cambridge Campus
A portrait of Arthur Balfour was attacked at Trinity College, Cambridge – But why?
The Hidden History of Oxford’s Jewish Community
An unassuming memorial stone near the entrance to the Oxford Botanic Garden marks the site …
Jewish History in York: The Pogrom at Clifford’s Tower
In 2016 York was granted the title ‘City of Sanctuary’ to celebrate the city’s ‘efforts …
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, …
