Turn into Redcross Way, only a few minutes’ walk from Borough High Street, and it’s hard to miss the colourful display of ribbons tied onto tall, sturdy gates blocking access to an overgrown and derelict site. But this isn’t just any old patch of waste ground, far from […]
If you want to understand why the hustle and bustle returned to Bankside after it was abandoned whenRoman Britain fizzled out then Borough High Street is as good as any place to start. Here a thorough-fare on the main road from the Kent coast to London was becoming […]
Spending an afternoon exploring St James’s provides the senses with a touch of nostalgia. The exclusive shops, nestled amongst grand houses and gentlemen’s clubs, remind us of the time before British high streets became clones of one another, lined with endless Tesco Express and Starbucks outlets. But St […]
Despite recent technological advances in computer simulation and enhanced scanning of internal human organs, medical professionals say today there is still no proper substitute to giving trainee surgeons hands on-access to dead bodies to practice on before they move on to living patients. But here lies a problem – […]
Take a stroll along Islington’s Upper Street any evening of the week and you’ll find gourmet restaurants and wine bars buzzing with activity. At a time when hospitality businesses in other parts of Britain are struggling as consumers cut back on spending, in this north London the suburb […]
Sitting with Bristol City fans at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton at the weekend, I saw first hand the dedication that football supporters have for their teams. While I was up in the Manchester area anyway for a weekend away with friends, for many travelling up to see […]
It can be all too easy to make snap judgements as to whether personalities of today and from the past are good or bad. Sometimes with only a little information about an individual’s character, we feel we can make comprehensive assessments and come out with bold statements. History […]
Dr Pamela Cox’s excellent social history series, Servants: Life Below Stairs, ended this weekend with a brief glimpse into paid domestic service in Britain today. Once it was widespread for families from the middle classes upwards to have live in staff to keep their homes in order, but […]
In an age where people jet off around the world to far flung destinations and the parallel popularity of the British ‘staycation’, the idea of a week in the sun with a fixed price for flight and accommodation seems a thing of the past. But package holidays are […]
Bristolians now have the option of paying for goods and services at over 350 firms in their city with the Bristol Pound. The new scheme, the UK’s largest’s alternative to sterling, aims to boost trade in the local economy. But just how innovative is it for Bristol to […]
Past In The Present 