When did Britain’s age of coal come to an end? A commonsensical answer to this question is likely to appeal to the decisive defeat the miners suffered during the great strike of 1984-5 and the
Once, coal was the future. In The Road to Wigan Pier, his famous depiction of poor living conditions in industrial areas in northern England, George Orwell began chapter two with the statement ‘Our civilisation…is founded
As a former professional archaeologist, I have always been interested in the idea of "ruins" (in the broadest sense) as foci for remembering. This is implicit in the idea of a heritage site, which as
Anybody who lives in Sheffield will be more than conscious of its industrial past, a proud legacy that lives on in Sheffield’s architecture, street names and culture. Most will also be aware of the impact of
On 13 August 1913, ‘rustless’ steel was first discovered in Sheffield by Harry Brearley and throughout 2013 there has been a city-wide series of events, exhibitions and activity celebrating the centenary of this remarkable discovery.