History and Today

Ian Parks reading 'Ode to the Chartist Poets'  Clarion choir sing 'On Blackstone Edge'

Following a brief twitter conversation with @langrabbie and @owenhatherley about an old blog post I wrote on here : http://historytoday-navickas.blogspot.co.uk/2015/01/brutalgie-whats-wrong-with-scarfolk.html, I'd like to revise what I said about Scarfolk, the fictional world invented by Richard Littler, https://scarfolk.blogspot.co.uk/ 

At the time (Jan 2015), I complained that it was a little too obvious in its satire, and that it didn't seem to have a political purpose. What has happened since that date and today has made me rethink this - now, each new post by Littler is deliberately and often sharply political. And a few times, the news breaks and you're left thinking 'this is too bizarre/cruel/shocking, even for Scarfolk'.  

It's still perhaps not as perceptive and deep as the 'fakelore' of Hookland, but Scarfolk has indeed become much more relevant and topical.

Sources:
Yorkshire Gazette, 29 July 1837 - York city election
York Herald, 24 June 1826 - Yorkshire county election
Yorkshire Gazette, 23 June 1838 - Coronation procession

Here's a lovely write-up of the lecture I gave at the University of Huddersfield as their annual Luddite Lecturer: http://www.hud.ac.uk/news/2017/april/ludditememoriallecturebydrkatrinanavickas.php

Manchester St Peter's Square, Goad's insurance map 1886, overlain on google earth with 3D buildings

lower bit of Great Ancoats, 1849, 1934 slum clearance, and today.