Port Towns and Urban Culture’s Dr Brad Beaven’s new blog post for the Gateways to the First World War project is now live. In the post, Brad reflects on Portsmouth City Museum’s First World War Researchathon held on 24 January 2015. “The clock was ticking. The tension in the room was palpable. Could we finish […]
Tag Archives | port towns
Supernatural Cities: Narrated Geographies and Spectral Histories
Port Towns and Urban Culture’s Dr Karl Bell has launched a new project based at the University of Portsmouth entitled Supernatural Cities: Narrated Geographies and Spectral Histories. The project seeks to encourage the formation of a multi- and interdisciplinary network of researchers who will explore the relationships between urban environments, the supernatural, and the cultural […]
‘Jigging Jack’: The Sailor’s Hornpipe, Sailortown & the Stage
The Sailor’s Hornpipe, also known as “The Jig of the Ship,” “Jack the Lad,” or “Deck Dancing,”[1] was a common sight in ports, danced and performed in sailortown areas across the globe. The Sailor’s Hornpipe became a staple dance of the Royal Navy, so much so “the sailor’s hornpipe was one of the glories of […]
The Great Escape of 1802: French Prisoners of War Take Over The Prince
Such was the infamy of the English prison hulks that Napoleon Bonaparte is reported to have shouted before the battle of Waterloo: “Soldiers, let those among you who have been prisoners of the English describe to you the hulks, and detail the most frightful miseries which they endured!”[1] It is interesting that Napoleon, the person […]
CFP – Summer 2015 Workshop: Leisure and Coasts, Ports and Waterways
BSSH South Summer Workshop 2015: Leisure and Coasts, Ports and Waterways, in association with The University of Portsmouth’s Port Towns and Urban Cultures Group Venue: University of Portsmouth Date: Saturday, 13th June 2015 Call for Papers This workshop seeks to examine the development and expansion of leisure in coastal regions, port towns and cities, and on and alongside […]
Coastal Leisure on Hayling Island for London Lads
During the late nineteenth century the Boys’ Brigade in London sought to provide its young members with a form of recreation that would offer a break from the ills of urban life. It was thought that a camping expedition would help lift restrictions imposed at home and would remove lads from the pressures of the […]