Congratulations to Channel 4 for four fantastic new programmes this week challenging key episodes in British history as part of its Bloody Foreigners season. This theme may sound xenophobic but the hour long docu-dramas in fact, in my opinion, showed the positive contributions that immigrants have made to Britain over the years.
On Wednesday night the ‘Untold Great Fire of London’ set out to explore whether the fire, which devastated large swathes of the capital some 350 years ago, really was started by accident in a bakery in Pudding Lane. Experts interviewed on the programme reeled off historical documents which suggested that it was started arson and that foreigners were to blame.
While the flames were still burning, Dutch immigrants living in London were attacked in their homes and beaten in the street; there was nowhere in the capital that was safe for them to be. As bloody re-enactments on the programme showed, it must have been terrible for all the families that were caught in the chaos. Soon the blame moved to another of the Britain’s foreign enemies, the French, and more innocent people became caught up in the terror.
But then those advocating the blood foreigners theory had cause to celebrate as a Frenchman himself confessed to the crime of starting the Great Fire of London. They wanted someone to blame and now they had their man. He was sentenced to death and killed.
Over time it became apparent that the man in question couldn’t have possibly started the fire – he wasn’t even in the country at the time according to witnesses. Still it wasn’t until the 1820s, long after his killing, that the ‘guilty’ man’s name was publicly cleared.
The hatred for foreigners at the time was tied up with the long-running Reformation – Protestants blamed the Catholics for starting the English Civil war but even after the fighting on the battlefield ended, the religious conflict and suspicion continued. Even so in wider history, Britain’s treatment for immigrants has never been that great. Look at how some refugees fleeing recent violence in places like Uganda and Somali have been beaten up in their own homes – just for being foreign. Somehow though the contributors on the ‘Untold Great Fire of London’ thought that times had changed and that London was today a cosmopolitan place where everyone is welcome. If only things were that simple.
During the Fire of London there are records of Dutch immigrants pulling down their homes to stop the fire spreading, something that many of the English refused do. In another programme in the Bloody Foreigners season which re-considered the battle of Trafalgar, the contribution of foreigner fighters in the Navy was recognised. This totally counters the view that it was purely an English victory – there were in fact over 20 different nationalities involved in the battles, including ex-slaves.
Foreigners have in the past made an enormous contribution, and continue to make an enormous contribution, to Britain. Immigrants have brought new foods, they’ve started successful companies like Tesco, we’ve danced to the rhythms of their music and shared their smiles. Often their contributions are invisible from public view, which is a real shame. But they have played an amazing role in shaping the Britain that we have today.
As for the Bloody Foreigners season, as I said at the outside, I think Channel 4 should be commended because anything that make people take a fresh look at history has got to be a good thing. History teaching in schools has a reputation for being stale, but it’s well-made television programmes like these that make people sit-up and say: ‘actually history doesn’t have to be boring, I can see that what happened then matters to me today.’
At a time when the take up of history GCSEs is at an all time low, we need the people popularising history like Dan Snow, Niall Ferguson and Simon Schama, to name just a few, to lead the way. There will always be some academics that would say that there are no real new revelations in the TV programmes that apparently challenge history. But judging by the high level of coverage on the listings pages in newspapers, at least they are generating plenty of debate. That has only got to be a good thing in engaging future generations in our rich history.
Friday, July 2, 2010
The inspiration for getting 'Inside Bristol'
I've just hit 'post' on my blog about the new book (which I'm calling Inside Bristol) I'm working on which sets out to chart Bristol's history, but I thought I should explain where my passion for Bristol comes from......
It all started as I was sitting on the top deck of an open top tour as the familiar landmarks of Bristol unravelled in front of me. We passed the regenerated docks, the famous Clifton Suspension Bridge and St Mary Redcliffe church with it awe-inspiring spire (no pun intended!). There was the SS Great Britain, the world’s first great ocean liner – the start of what has become a multimillion cruise industry. We passed through Clifton, a suburb that easily rivals the nearby spa town of Bath, and then across the breezy and airy expanse of greenery that is Clifton and Durdham Downs.
The guide also reliably told us about all the museums, galleries, shopping areas, parks and theatres just a few minutes walk from the various stops.
Many on the tour that sunny summer day back in summer 2008 had travelled half way around the world to visit Bristol, the dialects and languages they spoke confirmed that. I hadn’t travelled so far – only about three miles from the centre of Bristol in fact. I was born in Bristol and lived in the city 18 years of my life, but didn’t feel I knew it intimately. Of course, I knew of John Cabot, the shameful slave trade and Brunel, but I couldn’t see how they all connected together to create the Bristol story. Getting on the open top bus and sitting amongst lots of ‘tourists’ provided the impetus to start a journey of discovery.
Arriving back in Bristol, after getting on for six years away, allowed me to see the place with fresh eyes. And from what I saw on those first days of re-discovering Bristol fascinated me. I wanted to know more so I read a succession of books about the city’s history. From exploring the streets again, I became completely fascinated by how Bristol was changing. Here was a city with new blocks of apartments and offices springing up all over the place while at the same time thriving culturally.
The book I am writing started off as a number of short diary entries chronicling what I had seen, what I had heard and what I had experienced. I have consulted a number of history books, but my biggest inspiration has been to put on good pair of sturdy shoes and head off exploring. I want to write the story of a city that can be recognised today. And, as you will have seen from my previous post, I want to tell that fascinating history through the people that have a special attachment to each of the different period's of Bristol.
I am certainly not intending to write a tourist guide written as a selective history with all the not so happy episodes carefully removed. Just as we should be proud of how Bristol has shaped the way we are in the world, there is much to be shameful, not least the city’s involvement in the slave trade. It’s important that we acknowledge that this has happened and make sure we act differently in the future.
While my intention is to look at Bristol from a 21st century perspective, this is a story that begun more than 1000 years ago when a settlement grew up near the current Bristol Bridge. It was known as Brigstow – the Saxon meaning ‘place by the bridge’. Settlers lived in simple structures made out of wood, thatch and clay. They traded by river with groups in South Wales, North Somerset and Ireland long before the 11th century, and quickly the population grew. In the Middle Ages Bristol was in fact the second city in England after London.
Bristol started as trading post, a place travellers passing between the capitals of Gloucestershire and Somerset could enjoy refreshments before continuing their journey. Over time Bristol’s merchants built up a good reputation exporting and importing goods. First they travelled to France to import wine, but then they became more adventurous and sailed further a field. It was John Cabot that left Bristol to be the first European to re-discover North America since the Vikings.
Success came at a price though. It was the shameful slave trade that made countless merchants rich. The financial district of Bristol was founded on the profits of human cargo and many Bristol houses were financed by the trade.
Then over the years, through industrialisation, the city became dirty and smelly. Bristol went through periods of economic decline and was ruled by merchants who, partly through their selfishness, lost trade to places like Liverpool. But the city was always, and still is, an important business centre.
Unfortunately for many books that’s where the story of Bristol ends leaving people today trying to make sense of the place confused. In cutting it short, the experiences of slums in the city being demolished from after World War One and after World War Two in favour of building new housing estates on the edge of the city are nothing more than passing sentences. To me, it’s a bizarre omission.
Authors should write about how things are, but they also need to discuss what things have become. It’s a way of connecting people with history. For example, in the 1970s the central docks were lying derelict after the waters were closed to commercial trade, but now we should be celebrating the regeneration with new restaurants, bars, cafes, offices and appartments. Today, there is mile upon mile of dockside where pedestrians can walk.
This will be a book about looking at where Bristol has come from, where it is today, and, dare I say it, where the city is going in the future. For so long I walked along the same roads and went in the same buildings. In this book I want to make amends and go beyond the familiar toutists attractions in the glossy brochures. I want to truly get ‘Inside Bristol’. I look forward to taking you on that adventure.
It all started as I was sitting on the top deck of an open top tour as the familiar landmarks of Bristol unravelled in front of me. We passed the regenerated docks, the famous Clifton Suspension Bridge and St Mary Redcliffe church with it awe-inspiring spire (no pun intended!). There was the SS Great Britain, the world’s first great ocean liner – the start of what has become a multimillion cruise industry. We passed through Clifton, a suburb that easily rivals the nearby spa town of Bath, and then across the breezy and airy expanse of greenery that is Clifton and Durdham Downs.
The guide also reliably told us about all the museums, galleries, shopping areas, parks and theatres just a few minutes walk from the various stops.
Many on the tour that sunny summer day back in summer 2008 had travelled half way around the world to visit Bristol, the dialects and languages they spoke confirmed that. I hadn’t travelled so far – only about three miles from the centre of Bristol in fact. I was born in Bristol and lived in the city 18 years of my life, but didn’t feel I knew it intimately. Of course, I knew of John Cabot, the shameful slave trade and Brunel, but I couldn’t see how they all connected together to create the Bristol story. Getting on the open top bus and sitting amongst lots of ‘tourists’ provided the impetus to start a journey of discovery.
Arriving back in Bristol, after getting on for six years away, allowed me to see the place with fresh eyes. And from what I saw on those first days of re-discovering Bristol fascinated me. I wanted to know more so I read a succession of books about the city’s history. From exploring the streets again, I became completely fascinated by how Bristol was changing. Here was a city with new blocks of apartments and offices springing up all over the place while at the same time thriving culturally.
The book I am writing started off as a number of short diary entries chronicling what I had seen, what I had heard and what I had experienced. I have consulted a number of history books, but my biggest inspiration has been to put on good pair of sturdy shoes and head off exploring. I want to write the story of a city that can be recognised today. And, as you will have seen from my previous post, I want to tell that fascinating history through the people that have a special attachment to each of the different period's of Bristol.
I am certainly not intending to write a tourist guide written as a selective history with all the not so happy episodes carefully removed. Just as we should be proud of how Bristol has shaped the way we are in the world, there is much to be shameful, not least the city’s involvement in the slave trade. It’s important that we acknowledge that this has happened and make sure we act differently in the future.
While my intention is to look at Bristol from a 21st century perspective, this is a story that begun more than 1000 years ago when a settlement grew up near the current Bristol Bridge. It was known as Brigstow – the Saxon meaning ‘place by the bridge’. Settlers lived in simple structures made out of wood, thatch and clay. They traded by river with groups in South Wales, North Somerset and Ireland long before the 11th century, and quickly the population grew. In the Middle Ages Bristol was in fact the second city in England after London.
Bristol started as trading post, a place travellers passing between the capitals of Gloucestershire and Somerset could enjoy refreshments before continuing their journey. Over time Bristol’s merchants built up a good reputation exporting and importing goods. First they travelled to France to import wine, but then they became more adventurous and sailed further a field. It was John Cabot that left Bristol to be the first European to re-discover North America since the Vikings.
Success came at a price though. It was the shameful slave trade that made countless merchants rich. The financial district of Bristol was founded on the profits of human cargo and many Bristol houses were financed by the trade.
Then over the years, through industrialisation, the city became dirty and smelly. Bristol went through periods of economic decline and was ruled by merchants who, partly through their selfishness, lost trade to places like Liverpool. But the city was always, and still is, an important business centre.
Unfortunately for many books that’s where the story of Bristol ends leaving people today trying to make sense of the place confused. In cutting it short, the experiences of slums in the city being demolished from after World War One and after World War Two in favour of building new housing estates on the edge of the city are nothing more than passing sentences. To me, it’s a bizarre omission.
Authors should write about how things are, but they also need to discuss what things have become. It’s a way of connecting people with history. For example, in the 1970s the central docks were lying derelict after the waters were closed to commercial trade, but now we should be celebrating the regeneration with new restaurants, bars, cafes, offices and appartments. Today, there is mile upon mile of dockside where pedestrians can walk.
This will be a book about looking at where Bristol has come from, where it is today, and, dare I say it, where the city is going in the future. For so long I walked along the same roads and went in the same buildings. In this book I want to make amends and go beyond the familiar toutists attractions in the glossy brochures. I want to truly get ‘Inside Bristol’. I look forward to taking you on that adventure.
What's this rumour about a book on Bristol?
As many people know I am currently working on a new book about Bristol. My aim is tell the story of Bristol from Anglo Saxon times up to the present through a series of interviews with people who have a special attachment to different historical periods in the city’s history.
For more recent episodes, such as the World War Two air raids on Bristol and the St Paul’s race riots, I want to speak to people who were there as witnesses as history was being made. To chart earlier history, for example life in the Medieval town and Bristol’s role in the English Civil War, I want to interview experts in their relevant fields.
The overall aim of the book is to tell the story of Bristol’s past but then also link its unique and rich history to the present. For example in reporting on Bristol’s role in the slave trade, I would want to examine contemporary thinking on the subject. Or for those that were there on the opening days of any of the new housing estates on the outskirts of Bristol, how do the launch celebrations after World War compare with the reality of estate life today.
I've done a the majority of the background research and consequently written a lot of the copy. I am now in the process of emailing people I want to interview - but obviously those who lived through the Blitz are a little hard to contact through this means of communication, so I may resort to traditional snail mail. I am asking my interviewees to meet me for a coffee in a Bristol cafe of their choice, nothing too formal.
If you know anyone who you may want to be part of this project in bringing to life the history of this remarkable city please let me know. I'd be especially keen to hear from anyone who has an email address for Banksy!
For more recent episodes, such as the World War Two air raids on Bristol and the St Paul’s race riots, I want to speak to people who were there as witnesses as history was being made. To chart earlier history, for example life in the Medieval town and Bristol’s role in the English Civil War, I want to interview experts in their relevant fields.
The overall aim of the book is to tell the story of Bristol’s past but then also link its unique and rich history to the present. For example in reporting on Bristol’s role in the slave trade, I would want to examine contemporary thinking on the subject. Or for those that were there on the opening days of any of the new housing estates on the outskirts of Bristol, how do the launch celebrations after World War compare with the reality of estate life today.
I've done a the majority of the background research and consequently written a lot of the copy. I am now in the process of emailing people I want to interview - but obviously those who lived through the Blitz are a little hard to contact through this means of communication, so I may resort to traditional snail mail. I am asking my interviewees to meet me for a coffee in a Bristol cafe of their choice, nothing too formal.
If you know anyone who you may want to be part of this project in bringing to life the history of this remarkable city please let me know. I'd be especially keen to hear from anyone who has an email address for Banksy!
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