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It is startling just how many of Colchester’s streets are casually dotted with pieces of history that thousands walk past unknowingly every day. The High Street holds a building that exemplifies this perfectly, and since its establishment, this structure has often stood as one of the most significant places in the city over the past 178 years. In all its conversions, this one building manages to convey the great changes in British society during that period – from restricted

Footbinding – a notorious cultural practice – represents how image, pain, and power intersected to leave an indelible mark on both Chinese culture and the human body. For centuries, this brutal tradition reshaped the lives of millions of women, distorting their bodies in the name of beauty and status. But what was the true cost of this centuries-old ideal? Behind the delicate ‘lotus feet’ and the allure of small, graceful steps lay a world of suffering, societal control, and

The army barracks at Colchester are some of the oldest, continually used, military facilities anywhere in the world. Since AD 43, there has been a garrison in Colchester, and this has profoundly shaped the surrounding land, people, and communities who call this part of North Essex home. Growing up in Colchester was very exciting for my younger self. The regular buzz of Apache attack helicopters in the sky and the constant sound of gunfire reverberating from the marshes made m

Memory is not merely a passive reflection of past events; it is a dynamic, selective, and contested process that plays an indispensable role in shaping our understanding of history. Particularly in the context of war, memory becomes a tool not only for recalling events but for reconstructing them – often in ways that serve contemporary agendas. The act of remembering is thus not neutral; it is fraught with tensions over which histories are included, which are erased, which ha

Having spent most of my childhood in Northampton, I greatly appreciate its expansive history. Delapré Abbey can be seen as the historic epicentre of this town, upheld by its nine-hundred-year history. As an abbey, battlefield, home, archive, and museum, its significance to understanding Northampton’s history and culture is immensely valuable, especially considering it could have been lost several times. The site's historical significance began as the Abbey of St. Mary de la P

Nestled in the heart of the Peak District, near the town of Bakewell, lies one of Britain’s most iconic country houses: Chatsworth House, home to the Cavendish family since the 16th century. To the objective viewer, Chatsworth house is certainly beautiful. Its grand façade and neo-classical grandeur is something that has captivated me from a young age, due to its complete contrast to modernist architecture. Of course, Chatsworth’s aesthetic design serves a function in and

After my A-levels I was fortunate enough to take a year out before heading to university. For months I was able to work in the glorious Devonshire countryside. I was mostly on my own, with my thoughts and history podcasts, either working among the vines of a local vineyard or trekking through valleys planting tree saplings; it was joyous, but I had no idea what to do with the money I was earning. I knew I wanted to go inter-railing in Europe, but I wasn't sure where to start,

“Work sets you free only if you die from working.” These were the words of my guide as we stood in front of the infamous gates of Auschwitz I. The original German, “arbeit macht frei”, translating to ‘work sets you free’. These cruel words are a sobering reminder of the place you are about to enter; their sinister connotation encapsulated perfectly by my guide as a mere euphemism for one of the greatest crimes in history. The role Auschwitz played in the realisation of these

“Terrible Tudors, Gorgeous Georgians, Slimy Stuarts, Vile Victorians…” When it comes to engaging an audience with the past, no one has ever quite done it like Horrible Histories. While promoting his latest work, A History of Britain in Ten Enemies, I was fortunate enough to meet Terry Deary himself and found that there was little I could say except, “Thank you” – for writing the books that first inspired my love of history, as well as inspiring the arguably even more beloved

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas… As the festive season approaches, the allure of Christmas markets comes alive. From the cobbled streets of Vienna to the bustling squares of Chicago, these enchanting markets are a hallmark of holiday celebrations worldwide. Twinkling lights, warm mulled wine, and the enticing aroma of roasted chestnuts create a magical atmosphere, inviting families and friends to gather, shop, and revel in the spirit of Christmas. At their heart,

The Broad Street Pump – today a redundant, seemingly unremarkable water pump located in the backstreets of Carnaby, London. Yet in 1854 it was the epicentre of a deadly catastrophe, unleashing a bacterium that swept through the streets of London. The infamous Broad Street cholera epidemic ultimately claimed 616 lives. Consequently, this small piece of material culture is more than an object; it represents a turning point in the study of infection and disease. What made this

One of my favourite history spots is the National Memorial Arboretum. It focuses on the history of war, giving a general but thoughtful picture of soldiers’ lives and contextualising their wartime experiences. The topic of remembrance is covered in a variety of ways and is the focus of the arboretum - it aims to preserve and educate people on the legacies of those that served during many different wars so that their names and impacts will not be forgotten. Although a lot of t

When I decided to run a children’s local history scheme over the school summer holidays at my town’s library, I had visions of becoming a modern-day amalgamation of Terry Deary and Raphael Samuel. A history wizard who would ward off the scourge of the terrible Horrible Histories reboot today’s children have been subjected to and inspire them to become the historians of tomorrow. I could already see the mention of my name after they won a Royal Historical Society prize, the th

This year, Paris hosted the Olympic Games, featuring 32 sports, 329 events, and 10,500 athletes over 16 days of competition. Paris became the second city, after London, to host the Summer Olympics three times. Behind this organisational feat lay a history that long predated the French capital’s successful 2015 bid; this was an event that had been not just years, but millennia in the making. The first written evidence of the Olympics dates back to 776 BC. Originally a religi

Jakob Reid When studying history, one fundamental question often goes unaddressed: for whom are we studying and investigating history? This question is crucial but frequently sidelined. Some argue that history is studied for personal intellectual enrichment, while others see it as a tool for advancing academic research. However, this inward-looking approach misses an essential point. History should not be pursued merely for the benefit of historians or academic circles. Inste