History – A Sideways Look

Status:Active, open to new members
Coordinator:
Michael Johns m.johns@blueyonder.co.uk Tel: 020 8883 5446
When: Fortnightly on Fridays 2:00pm-3:30pm
Venue: Zoom (online)

This group looks ‘Sideways’ at history. We choose a particular period and examine what was happening at that period worldwide. None of us are experts; we share a curiosity about the past throughout the world. All group members participate in discussions and share the responsibility of researching/presenting topics of their choice.

From September 2024 we will be looking at the period 1750-1800. This was the age of revolution - political in America and France, industrial in Britain. The various states in India crumbled before the British advance, the Russians under Catherine the Great reached the Black Sea and the Chinese empire flourished, largely free from European interference. It was the age of Mozart operas, the discovery of electricity and the Jewish enlightenment. We will be looking at world-shaking trends or quirky details - anything that catches our fancy in the period.

Michael Johns leads the group. We present papers on email and meet for discussion on zoom, to enable members with travel or mobility problems to participate. From time to time we meet in person for a social lunch.