Local History News

From our blog

Little pearls of local history

Published: 6th May 2023

Simon Fowler explains how he has been researching and writing articles for a local online newspaper.

From our blog

Helping a society as a young person

Published: 6th May 2023

Joe Saunders shares his experience of getting involved in BALH and volunteering in a society in his twenties.

20sStreets competition: winners chosen from ‘impressive’ field

Published: 6th May 2023

We are delighted to have chosen the winners of our 20sStreets competition, which attracted more than 150 entries covering a huge array of fascinating topics.

From our blog

Mapping Urban Britain from the Past to the Past: a Scottish view on three episodes in cartographic history

Published: 27th April 2023

In this third of four talks delivered in partnership with the Historic Towns Trust, John Moore spoke on the history of urban mapping in Great Britain, placing particular emphasis on Scottish urban centres. John is a Trustee of the Historic Towns Trust, has over 40 years’ experience in researching the history of cartography, and is currently working on the Historic Towns Trust volume for Perth. This fascinating session highlighted a number of key sources that can be used for researching the historic development of urban settings.

From our blog

Dulwich Society Twitter

Published: 6th April 2023

Sharon O’Connor, from the Dulwich Society local history group shares how to set up and run a local history Twitter account and how this has helped them.

From our blog

Creating Engaging YouTube Videos For Local and Family History

Published: 20th March 2023

In the latest instalment of the BALH’s series of Digital Skills webinars, Digital Content Coordinator and professional filmmaker Catherine Warr took audiences through some of the simple methods that those new to video making can use to produce short factual videos, with particular emphasis on the BALH’s programme of Ten Minute Talks.

From our blog

York’s Factory Women: The Perils of Pregnancy

Published: 10th March 2023

In 2022, five out of the nine judges of the US Supreme Court ruled that a woman’s right to choose to have an abortion would no longer be constitutionally protected. This decision dismantled almost 50 years of women’s legal protection sending shockwaves around the globe, putting the U.S alongside Poland, El Salvador, and Nicaragua as the only nations to counter global trends in respect of women’s reproductive rights being advocated since the 1970s.

Member Society Update : Roade Local History Society

Published: 10th March 2023

Roade LHS of Northamptonshire have recently launched their new website.

From our blog

Society for One-Place Studies

Published: 21st February 2023

What is a One-Place Study? In brief, this form of micro-study combines local history with family history, and can include many different aspects.

The Historic Towns Trust spring lecture series

Published: 14th February 2023

BALH have planned a fresh series of lectures in association with the Historic Towns Trust

The Historic Towns Trust spring lecture series

Published: 14th February 2023

BALH have planned a series of four lectures in association with the Historic Towns Trust

Volunteer with BALH

Published: 13th February 2023

BALH are looking for people to join as Trustees, Outreach Team and Publications Team colleagues. These bodies collectively direct and actively participate in the Association’s work. We are seeking passionate local historians who are enthusiastic about BALH and want to contribute to our activities.

From our blog

Octave Pelletier : a French hypnotist, dandy and olive oil expert in London

Published: 12th February 2023

Franck Sainte-Martine writes about his great-great-uncle Octave Pelletier, hypnotist, multilingual military censor and huile d’olive de Nice dealer who spent time in London in the early 1900s.

From our blog

Parish Loyalties on the eve of the Civil War in Somerset

Published: 11th February 2023

Occasionally records that relate to multiple parishes escape the careful eye of the local historian. One such source for over 200 parishes in Somerset is a petition in support of Episcopacy on the eve of the Civil War of 1642-1646.