167 people attended Dr James Ryan’s lecture on Wednesday 16th October 2019.
Reckoning with the Past: Stalin and Stalinism in Putin’s Russia.
Dr Ryan’s research has included opinion polls in Russia and interviews with Russians. Over the last decade Stalin has been reinstated as a great Russian leader. Putin’s regime has focused in particular on Stalin’s role in the defeat of Nazi Germany. Unlike Lenin whose revolution unsettled Russia, Stalin stood for unity and stability.
•’We shall not be slaves’ was the refrain at Peterloo but what was the attitude of the British ‘working class’ to the slave trade and (after 1807) slavery? Dr Hanley showed how the abolition movement tried to distance itself from ‘French’ inspired radicalism and how the pro Slavery movement tried to shift attention from the slaves in the West Indies to the plight of the poor in Britain.
In our final lecture of 2018-19 Professor Kate Dossett of Leeds University presented a fascinating insight into the way archivists are preserving the materials of the Feminist past. Drawing on her research with FAFF (Feminist Archives Feminist Futures) Kate Dossett challenged the image of Feminist History as a series of waves pushed back over the last century and a half. This metaphor of waves tended to put each generation of Feminists at with odds with the earlier generations. She showed how archives as diverse as the Fawcett Society (now the Women’s Library) and the Glasgow Women’s Library were preserving through books, news clippings, artefacts, pamphlets, posters, film and oral history the history of the Feminist Movement. This included ant-Feminist materials to give the topic context. This lecture not only enlightened us about Feminism’s History and also examined the wider issue of how historians and generations revisit and take ownership of the past. It was lively and inspirational end to our second successful year.
Acton Court tour. Sunday 19th May.
Rob Bell took us on a two hour journey around this Tudor gem. The site is like a giant jigsaw with many pieces missing. The Poyntze family (Robert and Nicholas in particular) were constantly rebuilding the house and moving things around. The archaeologists Rob Bell and Kirsty Rodwell spent many years sorting out what went where. A great deal was found in the moat which was used as a rubbish tip. Archaeologists love rubbish!
The high point in the house’s history was the 1535 visit of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. The East Wing was specially built for their visit. Given the speed and method of construction (nine months) it is amazing it did not collapse whilst his majesty was staying there. Unfortunately for the Poyntze family a combination of overspending on the house and backing the wrong side in 1550s led to their decline. By 1680 the family were bankrupt. Acton Court was partially dismantled and when Rob and Kirsty arrived in the 1980s the house was in a very poor state. Acton Court is not normally open to the public and so we were very lucky to be shown around. A big thank you to Rob Bell for such an exciting tour.
32 people heard Toby Green offer an entirely new view of West African History both before and after the Slave Trade. He showed how a toxic industry transformed world history, enriching Europe and impoverishing West Africa. 
Forty four people heard Dr Jessica Moody’s talk on Liverpool and its evolving recognition of its role in the Slave Trade. We were shown how Liverpool came to terms with its involvement alongside civic celebrations in 1907, 1957 and 2007 There were obvious parallels with Bristol. Bristol has some catching up to do.
Thank you to the 43 people who attended our lecture last Wednesday (20th Feb).
Professor David Stevenson challenged some of the long held myths about the Treaty of Versailles. The British for instance were not always the good guys in the middle. Many aspects of the Treaty were soft rather than harsh. On the other hand the treaty was much harsher than the Germans had expected when they signed the 1918 Armistice. Professor Stevenson was also able to show how the Russian Civil War affected the deliberations of the Allies.
Bristol’s HA has first pub quiz January 2019 and pub is packed!!
The Bristol Branch had a really successful pub quiz on Tuesday 29th January in the Golden Guinea pub in Bristol’s historic Redcliffe area. Not only did it raise over £100 for the branch but we brought forty History enthusiasts out on a cold winter night to a historic pub. The lively quiz masters were Richard Kennett and Sally Thorne and the rounds were on
The teams of four were made up of local branch members, PGCE students and History students, History teachers and their friends. Much to their surprise one of the oldest teams taking part made of Rob Pritchard (Branch Treasurer), Mary Feerick (Secretary), Nigel Varley (retired History teacher) and Silu Pascoe (Branch Member) won the amazing trophies provided by Richard Kennett. However even this team did not know the answer to “What was the only trace the Roanoke settlers left behind in 1590?” or the meaning of the Latin inscription on Clifton Suspension bridge (Suspensa vix via fit).
Everyone had a really fun evening and enjoyed the quiz masters sense of humour and the friendly atmosphere. The feeling was this should become an annual event.
Bristol Historical Association 