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National Caribbean Heritage Museum Helps BGU Celebrate Black History Month
As part of Black History Month Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) was proud to host a guest lecture delivered by Catherine Ross, Founder of Museumand, the National Caribbean Heritage Museum, exploring the histories and narratives of twentieth century Caribbean migration to the UK. The lecture explored the stories of some of the first pioneering Caribbean people to emigrate to the UK during the Windrush era following the Second World War. To give a personal context to these incredible stories Catherine and her team displayed items the migrants brought with them in their suitcases including ladies’ curling tongs, pre-1960s jewellery, men’s razor sets, hair products; and leisure items such as books, dominoes and harmonicas. Using these unique artefacts, collected since 1997 by Catherine for the museum, the lecture offered a fascinating insight what it meant to those who swapped Kingston for Birmingham, how they adapted to their new lives and the UK and how their presence contributed to Britain’s history through moving personal accounts, music, art, performance and crafts. Dr Sheine Peart, Lecturer of Professional Studies at BGU and researcher into features of the Black British experience, organised the event and ahead of the lecture explained why she felt such discussions were so important: “Caribbean people have been a part of British history for a millennia, certainly as far back as the Romans, but their stories have often been silenced or forgotten. Events such as this are an important opportunity to recognise and celebrate these rich stories and to do it as part of Black History Month has been fantastic.” Both Sheine and the team at Museumand hope this event will be the first of many at BGU exploring Black History. If you would like to take part in future events keep an eye on our news page or come along to one of our Open Days to find out how you can become a part of the learning community at BGU. -
BGU number 1 in 'Complete University Guide for History 2024!'
Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) has been included in rankings for the best universities for History in the UK, including courses on Ancient History, International History, and Modern History. The Complete University Guide helps students around the world research degree courses and universities, with their university league tables and rankings serving as a guide to which university is best for prospective students. Joint with the University of Derby, BGU scored highly in 'student satisfaction' with the ranking including students studying History and Military History! Programme Leader for History Dr W. Jack Rhoden, was extremely pleased to find out the news...'It's great to see our approach to teaching history and supporting our students recognised as exceptional once again. We are experts in small-group delivery and provide a welcoming and supportive environment for our students to thrive in. Our expert lecturers work closely with each other and with the students to develop challenging and interesting modules and assessments and ensure sessions are interactive and responsive to student needs. These results underline that BGU is the perfect place for anyone looking to study history in a personalised and supportive atmosphere.' The full league table for History student satisfaction on The Complete University Guide website can be viewed here. -
How our current circumstances offer a window into Lincoln's history
Dr Andrew Jackson, Head of Research at BGU, has written a series of articles exploring how the current circumstances in which we find ourselves offer a window into the history of both Lincoln and the wider United Kingdom. In the first of these he examines how the introduction of product restrictions by supermarkets harks back to the First World War and the city of Lincoln’s earlier experiences of rationing*. -
Remembrance Day 2020 – Military History students remember the Beechey Brothers
As Armistice Day approaches, we find ourselves in uncharted territory in terms of how we observe and commemorate those who sacrificed their lives during periods of conflict. The Military History team at Lincoln Bishop University (Lincoln Bishop) decided to observe this year’s Remembrance Sunday and Day – 11 November – as a collective group and together with their students produced a short video to form part of the commemoration of the First World War. Military History students Matthew Richardson and William Cragg volunteered to read extracts from the letters of the brothers of the Beechey family. All eight of the young men of the Beechey family went off to fight in the 1914-18 conflict. The family lived in Avondale Street, Lincoln. Only three brothers would return, the loss of the Beechey Family, five brothers all told, was one of the gravest a single family suffered in Britain during the Great War. Amy Beechey, their mother, is buried in Newport Cemetery -- a short walk from the Lincoln Bishop campus. The members of the Beechey family who paid the ultimate sacrifice included: Sgt. Barnard Reeve Beechey, killed in action – 25 September 1915, aged 382nd/Lt. Frank Collett Reeve Beechey died of wounds – 14 November 1916, aged 30L/Cpl. Harold Reeve Beechey was killed in action – 10 April 1917, aged 26. Pte. Charles Reeve Beechey died of wounds – 20 October 1917, aged 39Rf/m. Leonard Reeve Beechey died of wounds – 29 December 1917, aged 36 While the current COVID-19 pandemic has meant that our commemorative services and traditions will be altered this year, remembrance and commemoration of the sacrifices made during conflict can take a variety of forms. Whatever form it does take, the importance of continuing to respect and commemorate the fallen was emphasised by the youngest Beechey Brother during the war itself, in 1917. One of the letters you can hear being read in the commemorative short film was written by the youngest Beechey brother, Eric – fortunately he survived the war, and was serving as an army dentist in Malta at the time he penned the letter. Having learned of the death of his brother Harold, the third to have fallen during the war, he wrote to his mother Amy emphasising the importance of ensuring their sacrifice was never forgotten. ‘I really cannot write much as I cannot realise that when I do get home, I shall not find any of the three of us who have paid the last tribute possible to the old country, have sacrificed their lives. We can only pay them the honour due to them, and reverence them forever in our memories’. The commemorative short film will be played just before the two minutes silence on 11 November on the University's social media channels. It will also be available to watch after the silence here. If you are interested in studying Military History at Lincoln Bishop University please click here. You can also find out about the course at one of the forthcoming open days. For those interested in a taster session, please book onto the Military History masterclass on 17 November 2020. You can follow the activities of the Military History team on Twitter @Lincoln BishopMilitaryHist -
Hull’s Historic Docks and Ceremonial Culture Explored in Lecturer’s Award-Winning Essay
Dr Michael Reeve, Lecturer in History at Lincoln Bishop, has won the 2020 Gordon Forster Essay Prize, awarded by the Northern History journal, for his article exploring Hull’s historic docks and civic ceremonial culture. The piece, entitled ‘'An Empire Dock’: Place Promotion and the Local Acculturation of Imperial Discourse in ‘Britain’s Third Port’', looks in detail at civic ceremonial culture in Hull in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, with a specific focus on new dock openings. This includes the grand opening of the 'Joint Dock' in east Hull in June 1914. This state-of-the-art dock was later known as King George Dock in honour of George V, who opened it with his wife, Mary, the Queen-consort. The article is concerned, in particular, with the way the British empire figured as a symbol and motif in dock openings and the promotional materials that surrounded them. Speaking following the article’s publication, Dr Reeve discussed what drew him to the subject: “This area of history has long interested me as a native of the port city of Hull, where I grew up just a stone's throw from the King George Dock. I kind of stumbled upon the topic when trying to develop a blog post about urban culture and civic ceremony during the First World War about three years ago (most of my work to date has focused on this conflict)! I ended up developing it into something much broader, related to the mid-nineteenth and early-twentieth century history of the British empire and its impact on urban culture in culture in coastal places. I found the opening ceremony for the dock fascinating and thought that it had clear connections to historical accounts I had read about imperial citizenship, as well as a wider research concern I have with 'coastal-urban' experience and identities in history. When I got into the archives (mainly the Hull History Centre and the British Newspaper Archive), I found a wealth of material to go on, from colourful brochures and ticket stubs, to richly-detailed newspaper accounts and planning documents. The article should be of interest to students enrolled on modules related to the British empire and identity (such as the third-year module, The Sun Never Set and the Blood Never Dried: The British Empire in the Long Nineteenth Century and the first-year module, History of Identity) and those researching local historical topics and methods. It will also relate to the MA Social and Cultural History module, City and Countryside in Transition 1870-1914, given its focus on urban historical change.” The article is currently available to download for free (for a limited time) by clicking here. To find out more about how you can uncover new adventures on a History course at Lincoln Bishop, visit our website, book onto one of our Open Events or speak to a member of our Enquiries Team. -
Remembering 9/11 Twenty Years On
On the morning of September 11, 2001, an American Airlines Boeing 767 crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. Worldwide, millions watched in shock as events were broadcast by live television coverage. Many remember the chilling footage of the second plane hitting the south tower and the later collapse of the twin towers. At 9.45 am (Eastern Standard Time - EST), a third plane hit the Pentagon in Washington D.C. At 10.10 am (EST), a fourth hijacked plane crashed in a field in western Pennsylvania. United Flight 93 had been delayed leaving Newark Liberty International Airport, leaving time for some of its passengers to learn of the attacks in New York and Washington from cell phone calls. A group of brave passengers and flight crew fought the highjackers preventing the terrorists from weaponising the plane and taking out their fourth intended target, either the White House or the U.S. Capitol. The coordinated attacks were carried out by the Islamic extremist group al Qaeda. Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives that day. Twenty years on, historians at Bishop Grosseteste University share their memories of a day that changed the world. Dr Claire Hubbard-Hall, Programme Leader for Military History. I was weeks away from submitting my Master's' dissertation when 9/11 happened. The day the planes hit the World Trade Center, I had broken away from editing a dissertation chapter. I made a sandwich and then switched on the weighty analogue box television that occupied the living room corner. Images of destruction and devastation greeted me. News of the attacks in New York dominated both BBC and ITV channels (two of just five channels then). For the rest of the day, I sat transfixed, unable to make sense of the news that followed. In an era before social media, the live broadcast made it feel as if I were there. I watched in horror as the Twin Towers plummeted to the ground. At the time, I felt sick. Looking back, I still do. During my doctorate, I spent some time in New York as a Fritz Halbers Fellow researching aspects of the Holocaust at the Leo Baeck Institute. In 2006, on a bitterly cold January morning, I visited the site of the 9/11 attack. Standing silently in Lower Manhattan, I felt overwhelmed with emotion, still unable to process the unthinkable. As we mark the 20th anniversary of one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in history, I wonder how much 9/11 is shifting from lived experience to a historical event connected to the years of history before and after the 9/11 attacks. Dr Hazel Kent, Lecturer in History. I was rushing from my classroom to the staffroom to grab a much-needed cuppa after a busy lesson (some things don't change). A colleague stopped me in the corridor: "Have you heard what's happening in New York?" I hadn't. There wasn't easy internet access in a Lincolnshire comprehensive at that time, and certainly not in my History classroom. I went over to the Science block, to the technician's long, thin preparation room; this was the only place in the school with a live television signal. Surrounded by the chemical bottles and equipment, I remember watching the coverage in disbelief and trying to make sense of what was happening as more and more staff crowded into the tiny space to do the same. I remember the confusion as TV reporters tried to explain, as the horrific trauma of a carefully coordinated terror attack began to unfold thousands of miles away. Watching the coverage of the event certainly had a profound effect on me. From a historian's point of view, it is interesting to reflect on the experience of watching such a significant event unfold in real-time before its narrative has been created. Dr Alan Malpass, Lecturer in Military History. I've lived my entire adult life in the post-9/11 world, but my memories of that day are hazy. I do remember, quite vividly, sitting on the sofa in my parents living room watching news reports of the attack. I had just returned from school, so it must have been around 4 pm (BST). My dad was still at work, but my mum was watching the TV. I remember walking in and seeing her stood in the middle of the room. I immediately felt that something serious had happened, and I sat down. I don't remember us speaking a lot, but just sitting and trying to comprehend the news coverage. I didn't understand what had happened – I don't think anyone did at that point. I'd never heard of the 'Twin Towers' or thought much about terrorism, but the chaotic images made an instant impression. The sense that something tragically earth-shattering had happened was clear. Twenty years later, I now find myself teaching the events of 9/11 and terrorism on some of the modules I deliver. They are requisite to understanding the world we live in today. Further information about the 9/11 Memorials can be found at The 9/11 Memorial & Museum, Flight 93 National Memorial and The National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial. -
Christmas 1914 at Bishop Grossteste University
Since opening as a teacher training college for Schoolmistresses in 1862, Bishop Grosseteste University has celebrated over 150 Christmases. This year, History Alumni Ambassador Abigail White has explored the BGU archive to learn more about past Christmas celebrations at the university. One of the student magazines contains a detailed description of Christmas in 1914 and the impact of the First World War on festive celebrations. ‘It was thought better owing to the great distress caused by the present war not, to have the usual dance at Christmas, so the members of the staff kindly invited us to tea in the dining hall at 5 pm on Wednesday, December 16th’. Students and staff then engaged in various forms of entertainment. ‘The rest of the evening was devoted to games in the Drill Hall. No trouble was spared to make the evening enjoyable. The programme provided for all kinds of amusements. We began with an Advertisement Competition. How we had to rack our brains to discover the missing names of the gay placards that we see every day in the street! We were in the midst of this when suddenly we found that certain figures arrayed in the familiar red blanket were marching in procession around the room, led by a young lady resplendent in ermine muff and fur, made from a pair of white stockings with the help of a few threads of black cotton. This was the Adaptation Competition. Then followed dances of various kinds. Miss Bibby very kindly sang an old folk song which was greatly appreciated and which caused much amusement – ‘Oh no! John!’ But what of the Staff Competition. Every member retired during the Highland Schottische behind the green curtains on the platform. The curtains were drawn. Oh the horror! We were greeted with the awful vision of mummies and were given papers and told to name them! Some the girls evidently forgot that although deprived of their human appearance, the Members of the Staff had not lost their powers of hearing. The ‘Silent Cat and Mouse’ game caused much fun. At 10 o’clock we joined hands and sang ‘Alud Lang Syne’. Afterwards, we all tried to show our appreciation of one of the most enjoyable evenings of the term with a hearty cheer.’ To find out more about how you can uncover new adventures on a History or Military History course at BGU, visit our website, book onto one of our Open Events or speak to a member of our Enquiries Team. -
Bishop Grosseteste University’s 160th anniversary
Stories from the history of Bishop Grosseteste University are being told in a series of blog posts. In this instalment, Abigail White researches when then Lincoln Diocesan Training College for School Mistresses opened its doors. -
Students get hands on with Lincoln’s rich history at annual archaeological dig
Archaeology students at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) have been joined by international colleagues to explore Lincoln’s historical past at the annual BGU Archaeological Field School. Taking place in the grounds of the Lincolnshire Open Research and Innovation Centre, on Newport, the focus of the dig is to find and explore the remains of the medieval marketplace ‘Newport Green’. Some evidence of the site was discovered in the previous year’s dig and Dr Duncan Wright, Programme Leader for Archaeology and Heritage at BGU, explained why they had returned to uncover it further: “This dig is giving us the opportunity to celebrate and explore the historic development of Newport as suburb. In this sense Newport is very unusual and not as well developed as other medieval suburbs however, it has a potentially unique enclosure surrounding the entire community which we’re excited to find more evidence of and hopefully contribute to the growing discipline of suburban archaeology” The team are also hoping to discover more evidence of a collection of Roman buildings on the same site. Over the course of the four week dig around 60 students and volunteers from around the world will come to the site to support the exploration. Two of the BGU students taking part in their first dig are Saskia and Chloe, who discussed their excitement at being able to put their skills to the test: “It’s incredible to be given such an in depth and hands on opportunity in the first year of our course especially on a site that turning up finds from so many different eras, we’re already uncovering Victorian and some medieval archaeology and might only be a few more feet away from Roman finds” Fellow students Sam and Phoebe, on their second and third digs respectively, praised the annual digs for bringing people together: “These digs are a gift, we’re working with students and archaeologists from all over the world, it’s an experience you just wouldn’t be offered anywhere else. We’re not only honing highly employable skills, everything from digging through to processing and curation, we’re making real connections with fellow archaeologists.” One of those international colleagues is Ellie Roach, who has travelled over from America for her third dig with BGU: “I love coming back for the annual field schools at BGU, the supervisors are incredibly knowledgeable and supportive and the sites themselves allow you to explore regions of history that just aren’t accessible in the states. As a classicist, being able to get hands on with Roman and Medieval archaeology has been brilliant” You too can get a first-hand experience of our Archaeological Field School at the annual open day on Saturday 29 June. The site will be open to the public from 10am-4pm and our students and lecturers will be on hand to discuss the site and their finds. To find out how you can get hands on with history at BGU, visit our website, contact our Enquiries Team or join us on one of our Open Days. -
BGU Military History Course Gifted Resources Worth Over £14,000 by Osprey Books
Staff and students on the new BA (Hons) Military History degree at Bishop Grosseteste University (BGU) are enjoying an exciting range of new resources thanks to a generous donation from Osprey Books. Part of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, Osprey, an Oxford-based company specialising in illustrated military history books, commands an impressive catalogue of published works ranging from ancient warfare to the latest military technology. In total they have donated 1,191 volumes, with the full cost running to £14,500, covering military and aviation history subjects. With titles including Air Campaign Series ‘Battle of Britain 1940’, Command Series ‘Napoleon Bonaparte’ and Elite Series ‘The Persian Army 560-330 BC’ the donation will form an amazingly valuable collection of reference material for Military History students at BGU for years to come. Dr Claire Hubbard-Hall, Programme Leader for Military History at BGU, discussed what students on the course could expect to explore thanks to the donation: “This sizeable and generous donation from Osprey books will provide an invaluable reference resource for students studying Military History at the university. The books provide a global history of warfare focusing on the nature and conduct of war, the role of battle and reform at sea, on land and in the air, as well as the strategic impact of airpower, and major war and battle narratives.” The Military History degree course at BGU explores the county’s rich aviation and military heritage alongside a global coverage of the history of war and its broader impact. If you are interested in joining these discussions, our new BA (Hons) in Military History, which reviews conflict and its relationship with society from the medieval period through to the present day, is the perfect place to start. Visit our website or contact our Enquiries Team for more information.
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