September 2025

Despite only having overturned Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalised homosexuality,  in September 2018, India has a long queer history, which the BJP (the incumbent Hindu nationalist party) completely disregard.  Both ancient Indian culture and mythological texts directly refute the attitude that “…traditionally, India’s society does not recognise [homosexual] relations”, as asserted […]

“You smug-faced crowds with kindling eye Who cheer when soldier lads march by, Sneak home and pray you’ll never know The hell where youth and laughter go.”  – Siegfried Sassoon, ‘Suicide in the Trenches’.   At the outbreak of the First World War, the epitome of military manhood dictated that a spirit of strength and sacrifice was vital for those who were willing to serve and […]

As yet another state breaks international law, chemical weapons are again at the forefront of the debate about human rights. Tom Oliver looks at how has the rhetoric of human rights developed since its inception.

When the Great British Bake Off stormed on to screens three years ago, TV and food critics alike hailed it as the return of the popularity of baking. However, there is one baked good that we never stopped eating; bread. Bread has been a staple of our diets for as long as popular memory can […]

After a tumultuous season of highs and lows, the mighty boys in blue march on down the final straight towards what is set to be a nail-biting season finale. Having enjoyed a first half of the season battling for the top spot, losing only two games and conceding seven goals, the men in sky blue […]

As yet another state breaks international law, chemical weapons are again at the forefront of the debate about human rights. Tom Oliver looks at how has the rhetoric of human rights developed since its inception.

Since Idi Amin did not write an autobiography, research on his background is limited. Amin was born in 1923 in either Koboko or Kampala. A researcher from Makerere University has stated that Amin was the son of Andreas Nyabire, who converted from Roman Catholicism to Islam and changed his name to Amin Dada. Andreas abandoned […]

Traditionally, the festival of Diwali (the festival of lights), is said to spiritually signify the victory of light over darkness, knowledge over ignorance, good over evil, and hope over despair. However, during the 1802 festival, a fierce battle, known as the Battle of Poona, erupted near Pune, India, between the rival factions of the Maratha […]

Olive Morris had attended the Victoria University of Manchester to pursue her degree in social and economic science. She studied there for three years, from 1975 to 1978. During the three years she co-founded two groups, the Black Women’s Mutual Aid Group, and the Manchester Black Women’s Co-operative, working alongside Elouise Edwards and Kath Locke. […]

Victorian leisure and crime historian, Andrew Davies recently spoke about his book, Gangs of Manchester at a late night lecture at the Manchester Art Gallery. Charlotte Johnson interviews him about his past and current work on the working classes in Manchester and other British cities. It is hard for us to imagine how crowds could […]

1821 was possibly the most inopportune time to begin a war for independence in Europe. A few years prior, Napoleon was crushed, and the European powers inaugurated a revived conservative status quo in the Congress of Vienna that endeavoured to prevent any further upsets to the continent’s power balance. No more shocks and a good […]

The History Netball squad are continuing their success with their most recent matches seeing an exceptional 25 – 4 win against Medics and a 25 – 17 win against MSUOTC. These victories show that despite a break in training due to availability of the Armitage Centre, the girls are continuing to bring triumph to the […]

Jack Crutcher investigates the histories of the foods that now cover our tables in the festive period. From mince pies to turkey to yule logs, the history of eating at Christmas is extensive and international. A medieval Christmas had both religious and pagan elements. James Brannan explores how Cristes Maesse was celebrated, referring to carolling, […]

Mary Wollenscraft is one of the most famous people you’ve never heard of. Her presence in the school curriculum is minimal; her only appearance comes as a contextual note for ‘Frankenstein’ – the popular book written by Mary Shelley, her daughter.   Born in 1759 in Spitalfields, London, Wollenscraft’s early life was complicated by an erratic […]