South Bristol History Festival returns this autumn

South Bristol History Festival returns this autumn

Posted on: 21 Sep 2022

Discover south Bristol in a new light this autumn.

 

Running from Thursday 15 September until Wednesday 30 November, Bristol Radical History Group are hosting a series of events exploring the storied past of the southern side of the city.

 

Through an array of talks and films, the hidden histories of Southville, Bedminster, and Knowle West will be brought to life, revealing local stories including World War One resistance and kicking Mosley’s notorious Blackshirts to the curb.

 

All events in this series are FREE to attend. Venues and timings may vary however so be sure to find more information via Bristol Radical History Group’s website.

 

 

This year’s South Bristol History Festival, organised by Bristol Radical History Group in collaboration with local historians, will begin in Bedminster and Southville.

 

Running from the festival’s launch on Thursday 15 September until early October, this portion of the event features events on the history of tobacco and the experiences of those who worked in the Wills and Churchmans factories.

 

It also includes talks and films on mining, squatting the White City after WWII, resistance to World War One and the Bedminster workhouse.

 

Once these early events have concluded, focus will shift to Knowle West for the remainder of the festival, uncovering the late-nineteenth century socialist and green influences on the garden suburbs of Filwood, as well as the mass and militant resistance to fascism in the 1930s.

 

The venues for these faacinating events are scattered across BS3, with the likes of Tobacco Factory, Bedminster Library and Southville Centre all being used for the series of talks and films.

 

Not only are organisers looking for history buffs to attend but also to contribute, as they explain in a statement: “as we have discovered over the last 16 years, we carry stories through our families about these historical events, whether the experiences of moving onto the brand new council estates, working in the tobacco factories or kicking the Blackshirts out.

 

“So, if you have stories, artifacts, letters or dairies please bring them to the talks as they are the stuff history is made of in Bristol.”

 

All events featured during South Bristol History Festival are FREE to attend. Find more information here.


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Article by:

George Boyle

 

 

George is a journalism graduate and writer passionate about music and culture. Get in touch via email at george@365bristol.com