Duncan Hamilton
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dnhamilton.bsky.social
Duncan Hamilton
@dnhamilton.bsky.social
University of Manchester PGR researching radical 19thC literature and politics | National Co-operative Archive volunteer | IHR History Lab+ ambassador (North West England)
Reposted by Duncan Hamilton
The future of England is a Sunday roast with Yorkshire puddings and Jolof rice and that is not a force that can really be slowed
December 8, 2025 at 11:38 AM
Reposted by Duncan Hamilton
We have a new guide to archive sources for #co-operative #history on the website. You can download the 35-page PDF here
sslh.org.uk/2025/12/07/s...
Sources for Co-operative History in the UK
Click to download. The Society for the Study of Labour History has created a guide to sources for co-operative history in the UK. Compiled by the Society’s Archives and Resources Committee, the gui…
sslh.org.uk
December 7, 2025 at 7:39 AM
Reposted by Duncan Hamilton
In our continuing series on places in labour history, Mike Mecham argues that West Ham and Canning Town in East London form a cornerstone of the British labour movement
sslh.org.uk/2025/12/08/w...
West Ham: a place in labour history
In our continuing series on places in labour history, Mike Mecham argues that West Ham and Canning Town in East London form a cornerstone of the British labour movement. There is a good case for We…
sslh.org.uk
December 8, 2025 at 7:29 AM
Entered the pub and Liverpool were 2-0 up against Leeds. Wondered where the Liverpool I'd seen this season had gone?

Five minutes pass and it's 2-2. Ah, there they are.
December 6, 2025 at 7:06 PM
Reposted by Duncan Hamilton
The first three posts in our Places in Labour History series are now on our website.
Duncan Hamilton on the County Hotel and Durham Miners’ Gala.
Jane Donaldson on the 1938 co-operative movement pageant.
Mark Crail on the burial place of Chartist writer Helen Macfarlane
sslh.org.uk/tag/place-in...
December 6, 2025 at 8:16 AM
Writing a bit about pubs in Chartism (Cooper advocates for them as meeting places in his novel but doesn't mention the whole, you know, drunkenness aspect). Having a fun moment getting to quote from the Chartist Circular's teetotal address that my 3x and 4x great-grandfathers both signed.
December 4, 2025 at 12:14 PM
As much as I'm a scholar of Chartism, I'm also a Durham lad. It was great, therefore, to have a chance to write about one of the first sites to inspire my interest in British labour history, situated at the heart of the Miners Gala.
December 1, 2025 at 8:34 AM
My Thomas Cooper library grows in size and splendour with an extremely rare first edition of Alderman Ralph. Only the first volume, alas, but there's plenty of indecipherable notes in the back to keep me busy until Volume 2 surfaces!
November 28, 2025 at 5:17 PM
Alert
November 19, 2025 at 5:45 PM
There's very little that gives me a rush like passing an 8% check in Disco Elysium
November 18, 2025 at 9:08 PM
My grandfather emerged from the plains of Saskatchewan to become a professional ice hockey player in the 40s/50s and I will always defend the sport. It is completely insane. This is a great piece. Forget the shortform media content and watch people smash each other about on the ice as a replacement!
for this month's Observer sports column! I went to Romford to watch some ice hockey by myself and I had........the time of my life? observer.co.uk/news/columni... [free to read!]
November 18, 2025 at 11:53 AM
Starmer has gone from a draconian head of the Crown Prosecution Service to a jewel thief in just over a decade. One of the most insane lateral moves of all time
November 17, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Bring back Chartist plays - not BBC Schools necessarily, just an absolute boatload of Chartist plays. A Director-General vote for Duncan is a vote for common sense
Reading some old BBC Schools broadcasting notes because the incredible Thomas Cooper play (WRITTEN BY ALAN PLATER) is featured and - man, the Beeb used to be something, didn't it? Our Tom would have strongly approved of the educational angle.
November 15, 2025 at 10:51 PM
Reading some old BBC Schools broadcasting notes because the incredible Thomas Cooper play (WRITTEN BY ALAN PLATER) is featured and - man, the Beeb used to be something, didn't it? Our Tom would have strongly approved of the educational angle.
November 15, 2025 at 10:45 PM
William Morris's 'News From Nowhere' is actually a how-to guide on what we should do with cities
"my least woke opinion is---"

That's enough. We've had enough people indulging in the "thrill of a little conservatism", as a treat. Of considering reactionary thought to be a salacious and taboo in a world descending into reactionary mania.

Give me your MOST woke opinions. We're bringing it back.
November 14, 2025 at 11:31 AM
Another lovely day working on my thesis about radicalism in the 19th century - now to spend several hours writing about Anglo-Saxon Witangemots
a man in a suit and bow tie asks how did i get here
ALT: a man in a suit and bow tie asks how did i get here
media.tenor.com
November 13, 2025 at 10:28 AM
Reposted by Duncan Hamilton
Apart from the desire to produce beautiful things, the leading passion of my life has been and is hatred of modern civilization.

-William Morris
November 10, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Last night I started David Olusoga's new Empire series (excellent and I hugely recommend it - David is a much better historian than he is a Faithful). Monday in the archive and the first pamphlet I open is a case of some good old Imperial Federationism from an ex-Chartist. Many, MANY such cases.
November 10, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Reposted by Duncan Hamilton
all if forgiven, this show is perfect. #GameOfWool
November 9, 2025 at 8:27 PM
Had a long-overdue haircut this week and made the decision to do a close shave afterwards. This proved to be a mistake but it has, at least, allowed me to complete the Carroll diagram of Duncan's Many Looks

Yes, I look good with the scruff and the cropped hair, I'm not ashamed.
November 7, 2025 at 6:56 PM
I am ~15 years into my Europa Universalis V game and I'm blown away. This is a simulation of the ENTIRE world for 500 years (1337-1821), yet still deep enough for me to lose myself in battling Devonian and Cornish tin merchants over their weird local legal system #SmashTheStannaryLaws #EUV
November 6, 2025 at 5:31 PM
Reposted by Duncan Hamilton
Hoping this helps our colleagues across the industry
November 5, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Reposted by Duncan Hamilton
In Newport South Wales on November 4 1839 Chartists nearly succeeded in sparking a revolution. The crack regiment of the British Army shot 22 dead
wp.me/p15p2Q-8NH
Newport 4th November 1839: 22 Chartists demanding the vote shot dead by the army
Newport 4th November 1839: 22 Chartists demanding the vote shot dead by the army It is 186 years on 4th November since the Newport Rising in South Wales. The events of that day may have had a revol…
wp.me
November 4, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Reposted by Duncan Hamilton
Listen to Journey Through Time, available on all major podcast platforms 🎙️
November 3, 2025 at 5:39 PM
After an extremely full-on week followed by an even more full-on weekend (don't do 8hrs of trains in one day, kids) I fully reserve the right to swan around Hexham in various high-quality items of wool clothing
November 3, 2025 at 12:06 PM