Reflecting on the local elections last week I have felt – for the first time in my adult life, that is since the late nineteen seventies – the need for an analysis based on class. What might we mean by ‘class’ in 2025? It will be very different from the structures of class smashed byContinue reading “The Re-Emergence of Class”
Tag Archives: History
Would the Fairies like Elon Musk?
As I was reading round material about myth, fairy stories and the use of story in religion I came across a comment that suggested one of the purposes of fairy stories was to ridicule the rich and powerful. One particular butt of the stories was the traditional figure of the miser. This is a character,Continue reading “Would the Fairies like Elon Musk?”
The End of an Era
Last week I attended the funeral of a dear friend. He was the parish priest of the church my partner and I attended whilst at university in Manchester. My partner also lodged at the church for a couple of years. We were associated with the church for about ten years in total, from 1984 toContinue reading “The End of an Era”
The Structures of Racism
I have just finished reading David Aaronovitch’s book on conspiracy theories. There is much of interest in the book and, especially in the present climate, it is very thought provoking. What is perhaps most interesting is that Aaronovitch takes the discussion back to the end of the nineteenth century and shows that the conspiracy theoryContinue reading “The Structures of Racism”
The Fickleness of Scholarship
This is the first of four blogs that will allow me to look back on the different threads of my quartet. It has been about a year since I began this blog in earnest, and so I thought this would be a good point to reflect and sum up something of where I have arrived.Continue reading “The Fickleness of Scholarship”
The Trigan Empire
The surprise gift this Christmas was a copy of Tales from the Trigan Empire, a large comic, or graphic novel, volume published in 1989. This is clearly not the kind of thing that I would normally read, but it brought back so many memories of childhood. When I was eleven or twelve (1973-74) my parentsContinue reading “The Trigan Empire”
Histories and Futures: A Reflection on the Generations
A new year, a new future. One of the things that struck me most forcefully in 2022 was the thought of my father’s age. On March 7th, 2022, he would have been 95. That is terrifying in so many ways. My father was the youngest of six children, the only boy after five daughters. HisContinue reading “Histories and Futures: A Reflection on the Generations”