Martin Johnes

@martinjohnes.bsky.social

1.2K followers 270 following 120 posts

Historian of Wales & the UK. Books include: Aberfan, Wales since 1939, England's Colony?, Welsh Not, Christmas & the British, History of sport in Wales.

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History 43%

Political science 30%

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Martin Johnes @martinjohnes.bsky.social · Nov 13

My book 'Welsh Not' is now out. It explores both the perception and treatment of language in 19th-century education & the wider reasons for linguistic change in Wales.

£20 in paperback or a free pdf here: uwp.co.uk/app/uploads/...

Martin Johnes @martinjohnes.bsky.social · 14d

Hard not to interpret the 60% of environment coming from institutional statements as an attempt to protect the largest HEIs. It means small units doing a lot to foster a subject and people will be undervalued.

Martin Johnes @martinjohnes.bsky.social · 23d

A short essay by me on the history of advent calendars in the UK. martinjohnes.com/2020/12/01/a...

A brief history of Advent calendars in the UK

Advent calendars, like so many British Christmas traditions, have their roots outside the UK. They are an evolution of a practice found in Germany of counting down through the Christian festival of…

martinjohnes.com

Martin Johnes @martinjohnes.bsky.social · Nov 22

Instead of just taking Welsh Government statements at face value why not run an investigative piece on Welsh history in schools? Why not also look at how funding issues are undermining Welsh history in musuems and universities? That would be more productive than another swipe at the English.

Martin Johnes @martinjohnes.bsky.social · Nov 22

Despite being a requirement in Wales since roughly 1990, we haven't even managed to get it properly taught here. The new curriculum isn't going to result in signifcant change and the new GCSE is going to result in less modern Welsh history not more.

Martin Johnes @martinjohnes.bsky.social · Nov 22

Like us, Northern Ireland is an independent football nation. Show them some respect.

Reposted by Martin Johnes

Mike Galsworthy @mikegalsworthy.bsky.social · Nov 21

"The Labour-led Welsh Government loves to highlight the Well-being of Future Generations (Wales) Act 2015.

So why is it so comfortable in underfunding, belittling the staff of, and destroying our world-renowned national institutions?"

Cultural austerity: why is Welsh Labour failing future generations?

Museums, libraries, and other national assets are our investments and inheritance. We owe it to our future generations to pass them on

bylines.cymru

Martin Johnes @martinjohnes.bsky.social · Nov 20

Wales 7 North Macedonia 1. OK, it was only this week but I suspect my answer will be the same in 20 years.

Reposted by Dolly Jørgensen, Katrina Navickas, Carmen M. Mangion , and 1 more Dolly Jørgensen, Katrina Navickas, Carmen M. Mangion, Martin Johnes

Modern Records Centre, University of Warwick @mrcwarwick.bsky.social · Nov 20

Call for papers #CFP

Blood is the Price of Coal: Coal Communities, Health and Welfare in Britain and Beyond from the 19th Century to the Present

18 June 2026: 1 day conference + NUM archive exhibition

Submit abstracts / express interest at warwick.ac.uk/services/lib...

Deadline: 25 Jan 2026

Blood is the Price of Coal: Coal Communities, Health and Welfare in Britain and Beyond from the 19th Century to the Present

When and where:
University of Warwick, Coventry, on Thursday 18 June 2026.

Conference summary:
This free one day conference aims to bring together researchers from higher education, community and campaign groups to explore the history of health and welfare in Britain’s coal mining industry.

Held jointly by the University of Warwick's Centre for the History of Medicine, Science and Technology, and Modern Records Centre, the event will run alongside an exhibition which will explore some of the themes covered by the speakers through the National Union of Mineworkers' archives.

We welcome contributions from new and established researchers, working inside and outside higher education.

Confirmed participants include:

- Jörg Arnold (University of Augsburg / Institute for Contemporary History Munich - Berlin), author of The British Miner in the Age of DeIndustrialization

- Keith Gildart (University of Wolverhampton), Principal Investigator on research project On Behalf of the People: Work, Community and Class in the British Coal Industry 1947-1994 and former miner

- Quentin Outram (University of Leeds), Secretary of the Society for the Study of Labour History and co-editor of Coal in Victorian Britain

Conference themes:

Subjects that could be addressed include but are not limited to:

The human cost of coal, including:
- Mining disasters, their contemporary impacts and later memorialisation.

- Industrial accidents, industrial diseases and workers’ compensation.
- Mine safety and the improvement of conditions.
- Mining and mental health.

Industrial health and welfare, including:
- Pre-nationalisation provision in and beyond the colliery.
- National Coal Board provision, including the NCB Medical Service, housing and the Coal Industry Social Welfare Organisation.
- Trade union campaigns and benefit schemes.
- Sport and social provision as mining welfare.

Coal and community, including:
- Environmental impact.
- Mining families and the intergenerational effects of the mining industry.
- Impacts of the industry with particular reference to gender, race and ethnicity.
- Coalfield communities after coal: the effects of deindustrialisation.

Submission guidelines

We wish to make space for dialogue between academic and community-based researchers, and welcome involvement from mining heritage and local history groups / researchers from former coalfield communities. We welcome and encourage alternative presentational styles. Possible formats for contributions could include:

- 15-20 minute papers.
- 5 minute lightning papers (for example showcasing a particular object or archival source, or highlighting a particular place, event, individual or experience).
- Round table discussions.
- Posters or displays.

Submission deadline: 25 January 2026.

Limited funding for travel support will be available, with priority given to early career researchers or participants who cannot draw upon institutional funding.

For additional enquiries, please contact the conference organisers at archives@warwick.ac.uk

Martin Johnes @martinjohnes.bsky.social · Nov 18

I can remember nothing about 99% of football matches I've been to, but I'll never forget this one.

Martin Johnes @martinjohnes.bsky.social · Nov 17

A powerful piece about the lack of criticism in Welsh culture.
llinos.substack.com/p/the-villag...

The Village That Forgot How to Argue: Wales and the Crisis of Critique

When a bad review becomes news, it’s not about the art - it’s about a nation that’s mistaken conformity for care.

llinos.substack.com

Reposted by Martin Johnes

Margot Finn @eicathomefinn.bsky.social · Nov 10

If Britain is 'sliding "into economic crisis over £85bn sickness bill', what can UK Arts, Humanities & Social Science research tell us about alternative pathways?

Swansea University historians have some excellent answers. 1/4

@torstenbell.bsky.social @bphillipsonmp.bsky.social

Britain sliding 'into economic crisis' over £85bn sickness bill, ex-John Lewis boss warns

The number of people who are out of work for health reasons has grown by 800,000 since 2019.

www.bbc.co.uk

Martin Johnes @martinjohnes.bsky.social · Oct 29

Wales really should just opt out of REF. There are far easier, and considerably cheaper, ways of distributing QR funding.

John Morgan @johnmorgan3.bsky.social · Oct 29

A two-track REF 2029, seen as increasingly likely prospect, "could create a two-tier research ecosystem with major long-term—and unnecessary—negative consequences", one sector body warns.

@francesjones.bsky.social @fionamcintyre.bsky.social report www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-r...

Fears mount over looming ‘twin-track’ REF - Research Professional News

Model under which some institutions would not need to submit returns seen as gaining ground

www.researchprofessionalnews.com

Reposted by Margot C. Finn, Martin Johnes

John Morgan @johnmorgan3.bsky.social · Oct 29

Fears mount over looming ‘twin-track’ REF - Research Professional News

Model under which some institutions would not need to submit returns seen as gaining ground

www.researchprofessionalnews.com

Reposted by Martin Johnes

Jonathan Ware @reassesshistory.bsky.social · Oct 28

Gebuza Nungu was a Zulu member of 15th Glamorganshire (Gower) Home Guard, born in Ulundi in 1870, he came to Britain as a lion tamer with the The Savage South Africa Show in 1898, before moving to South Wales & working in the steel industry.
#WW2 #SWW #History

Martin Johnes @martinjohnes.bsky.social · Oct 25

There is idirection at GCSE level but it's done in a way that actually discourages the study of modern Wales. Abolishing the requirement to study medieval, early modern and modern options would be an easy fix.

Martin Johnes @martinjohnes.bsky.social · Oct 25

A fair critique here. And one that's been made before but no one in government seems to want to listen. The Curriculum for Wales requires Welah history to be taught at all levels but never specifies what that means in practice. It needs to be far more directive.

Welsh historian calls for urgent overhaul of GCSE history qualification

Emily Price Welsh history is being sidelined in secondary schools and a complete overhaul of Wales’ GCSE history qualification is urgently needed, a prominent historian has warned. Dr Huw Griffiths ...

search.app

Martin Johnes @martinjohnes.bsky.social · Oct 24

Keir Starmer take note: the way to defeat Reform is not by adopting their policies and rhetoric. #Caerphilly

Martin Johnes @martinjohnes.bsky.social · Oct 21

I know it's pedantic but 21 Oct 1965 was the date the reservoir was officially opened and not the date of the flooding, which was a gradual process. Given 21 October is also the date of the Aberfan disaster, it is probably better that a different date is used to mark the loss of Capel Celyn.

Martin Johnes @martinjohnes.bsky.social · Oct 16

It's a bit bizarre of the author to think that universities have copied Plaid's manifesto. What almost certainly happened was that Plaid asked universities what needed to be done and then made that policy.

Martin Johnes @martinjohnes.bsky.social · Oct 13

CPD event on the Second World War and Empire for teachers. Travel and accommodation bursaries are available and they're keen to have teachers from Wales there.
www.iwm.org.uk/learning/tea...

CPD and Training for Teachers

Take advantage of our special events, CPD, and training opportunities for teachers.

www.iwm.org.uk

Martin Johnes @martinjohnes.bsky.social · Sep 19

I was there (I think!).

Martin Johnes @martinjohnes.bsky.social · Sep 18

I'm a big fan of Robert Harris' historical novels but the idea that this would have happened in a 1914 Anglesey pub is silly.

Martin Johnes @martinjohnes.bsky.social · Sep 17

I'm giving a talk in London on Wales and the Second World War next week: www.cymmrodorion.org/talk/welsh-n...

Welsh National Identity and the Second World War - The Honourable Society of Cymmrodorion

Professor Martin Johnes

www.cymmrodorion.org

Martin Johnes @martinjohnes.bsky.social · Sep 17

Please don't use the phrase Welsh DNA. Being Welsh is something you feel. Arguing it's genetic is for the likes of Tommy Robinson.

Martin Johnes @martinjohnes.bsky.social · Sep 12

I assume that's key, plus a general shift away from all languages.

Martin Johnes @martinjohnes.bsky.social · Sep 12

New research from the British Academy on declining arts & humanities provision in universities. Amongst its findings, is the fact that the number of students studying Welsh as a degree has fallen by 61% since 2011.
university-council-for-languages.org/2025/09/12/b...

British Academy Report Shows Cold Spots In SHAPE Provision

With more students than ever studying at local universities, a recent report published by the British Academy shows growing cuts of humanities, social sciences, and arts degree programmes in rural,…

university-council-for-languages.org

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