News, events and new titles from Bristol Books this January
History talks with Clive Burlton
Bristol Books director Clive Burlton marks his 10th year of giving talks to local community groups with a busy January.
In the next week he is appearing at Longwell Green Probus meeting to talk about the Life and Times of Harry Dolman – Clive is co-author of Harry’s biography. He’s at the Corner Club in Clifton Cathedral talking about Bristol Citizens at War and at Bristol Soroptimists on his book on Bristol’s Lost City and his book on The Matthew of Bristol to Probus Club of Mendip.
Open to the general public are Clive’s talk on The Whitchurch Airport Story on January 9 at Totterdown and Knowle Local History Society and January 12 at Sodbury and District History Society on January 12.
Also open is a talk on Bristol’s Lost City to the U3A at Chipping Sodbury on the morning of January 10; Trenches To Trams at Hutton Friendship Group on the afternoon of January 15 and A Picture of Health – the NHS at 70 to Kingston Seymour History Society on the evening of January 10.
Anyone interested in attending a talk can email Clive on Clive@bristolbooks.org.
Browse a local bookshop
Bristol is blessed with some great independent bookshops and also gift shops that sell our books alongside many other titles.
January is a quiet time in the book trade so why not pop in and browse for a good book! We recommend Heron Books, Clifton; Bookhaus, Rope Walk, Bristol; Max Minerva in Henleaze and Portishead; Born In Bristol, St George, Gloucester Road Books, Bishopston, We Make Bristol, Canford Lane and John Wesley's New Room, Broadmead.
There are also excellent factual book sections at M Shed, Bristol Museum and SS Great Britain for the local history lover. Happy browsing!
Fred’s Story
How did a man from Bristol end up singing on Top of The Pops in a satin suit surrounded by scantily clad dancers? The incredible story of Fred Wedlock – Funnyman of Folk by John Hudson is still one of our most endearing tales. It also highlights some amazing stories of the folk boom of the 1960s and the Troubadour Club in Bristol. You can see Fred performing his biggest hit here:
Bristol’s Pauper Children
A BBC Antiques Roadshow Special at Christmas highlighted the discovery of a box of photographs showing British children sent to Canada as part of the British Home Children Scheme. You can learn more about the programme here.
Many Bristol children were sent to Canada and their story is in our book, Bristol’s Pauper Children, written by Shirley Hodgson. Orphaned, destitute and abandoned children were a common sight in Bristol in Victorian times. The lucky ones were fed, clothed, educated and taught skills by church and charitable organisations, workhouses, reformatories and industrial schools.
Shirley Hodgson describes the workings and motives of the organisations formed to care for the poor and vagrant children in the city and opens a window into their ancestors’ past for the estimated 60,000 Canadians descended from Bristol’s Pauper Children.
