Since its introduction in 1972, the Interrail scheme has enabled millions of Europeans to travel by train around much of their continent at relatively low cost. In the first 25 years of the scheme, approximately half a million young backpackers from Great Britain and Northern Ireland took an Interrail trip. Despite the numbers involved, littleContinue reading “Did you take an Interrail trip between 1972 and 1996?”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Innocent beginnings to troubled middle age: Interrail in the press 1972 to 1994
“Male 21 seeks female under 26 as Interrail travel companion.” Surprisingly, this is not a line from the personal columns of a local newspaper or a travel magazine but was published in The Times in July 1992. The confidence of this anonymous young man whom I have named Allan is admirable, especially as he includedContinue reading “Innocent beginnings to troubled middle age: Interrail in the press 1972 to 1994”
Recording the experiences of UK Interrailers between 1972 and 1996
With Interrail passes in our pockets and packs on our backs, my friend Graeme and I set off to travel around Europe in the autumn of 1985. Apart from purchasing Hungarian visas in advance so we could go behind the Iron Curtain and visit Budapest, the rest of our trip was unplanned. Almost four decadesContinue reading “Recording the experiences of UK Interrailers between 1972 and 1996”
Public history project to commemorate the centenary of the Chertsey Town War Memorial
Between June and August 2021, I curated a blog-based public history project chertseywm100.com in partnership with Chertsey Museum to commemorate the centenary of the Chertsey Town War Memorial. The project contributed towards my MA in Public History at Royal Holloway University of London which was awarded with distinction. Although submitted to the university for assessmentContinue reading “Public history project to commemorate the centenary of the Chertsey Town War Memorial”
Commemorating the Chertsey Town War Memorial Centenary
The Chertsey Town War Memorial next to St Peter’s Church in Chertsey, Surrey was unveiled at a grand ceremony on 30 October 1921. Ahead of the centenary in October 2021, I am curating a public history project to uncover some long-forgotten stories about those who lost their lives during the Great War, their bereaved families,Continue reading “Commemorating the Chertsey Town War Memorial Centenary”
Podcast: The Remembrance of War
Welcome to my first podcast, ‘The Remembrance of War’ which features interviews with Dr Edward Madigan and Alice Pearson. Please join us as we discuss the remembrance of war from both historical and present-day perspectives. Running time 27 minutes.
We’re here because we’re here
Friday 1 July 2016. As thousands of people embarked on their final commute of the week, small groups of soldiers were arriving at railway stations and other transport hubs across the United Kingdom.
Learie Constantine: A champion of racial equality ahead of his time
A recent campaign celebrating ‘100 Great Black Britons’ proved controversial, more because of who was omitted rather than who was included. Learie Constantine, a man whose actions helped paved the way for the first Race Relations Act, was surely one of the gravest omissions.
Me and Leonard Cohen
On the morning of 11 November 2016, I woke up to the news of the death of Leonard Cohen. He was 82. For over a decade, Leonard has been an important and influential part of my life.
The Long Path 