Duncan Hamilton
@dnhamilton.bsky.social
University of Manchester PGR researching the literature of the Chartist Thomas Cooper | Elizabeth Gaskell's House volunteer | IHR History Lab+ ambassador (North West England)
As much as I'm a scholar of Chartism, I'm also a Durham lad. It was great, therefore, to have a chance to write about one of the first sites to inspire my interest in British labour history, situated at the heart of the Miners Gala.
In the first of our December series on places in labour history, @dnhamilton.bsky.social writes about the County Hotel, Durham
sslh.org.uk/2025/12/01/c...
sslh.org.uk/2025/12/01/c...
County Hotel, Durham: a place in labour history
In the first of a series of articles on places of significance in labour history, Duncan Hamilton tells the story of the Durham Miners’ Gala’s long association with the County Hotel. On…
sslh.org.uk
December 1, 2025 at 8:34 AM
As much as I'm a scholar of Chartism, I'm also a Durham lad. It was great, therefore, to have a chance to write about one of the first sites to inspire my interest in British labour history, situated at the heart of the Miners Gala.
My Thomas Cooper library grows in size and splendour with an extremely rare first edition of Alderman Ralph. Only the first volume, alas, but there's plenty of indecipherable notes in the back to keep me busy until Volume 2 surfaces!
November 28, 2025 at 5:17 PM
My Thomas Cooper library grows in size and splendour with an extremely rare first edition of Alderman Ralph. Only the first volume, alas, but there's plenty of indecipherable notes in the back to keep me busy until Volume 2 surfaces!
There's very little that gives me a rush like passing an 8% check in Disco Elysium
November 18, 2025 at 9:08 PM
There's very little that gives me a rush like passing an 8% check in Disco Elysium
My grandfather emerged from the plains of Saskatchewan to become a professional ice hockey player in the 40s/50s and I will always defend the sport. It is completely insane. This is a great piece. Forget the shortform media content and watch people smash each other about on the ice as a replacement!
for this month's Observer sports column! I went to Romford to watch some ice hockey by myself and I had........the time of my life? observer.co.uk/news/columni... [free to read!]
November 18, 2025 at 11:53 AM
My grandfather emerged from the plains of Saskatchewan to become a professional ice hockey player in the 40s/50s and I will always defend the sport. It is completely insane. This is a great piece. Forget the shortform media content and watch people smash each other about on the ice as a replacement!
Starmer has gone from a draconian head of the Crown Prosecution Service to a jewel thief in just over a decade. One of the most insane lateral moves of all time
November 17, 2025 at 8:53 PM
Starmer has gone from a draconian head of the Crown Prosecution Service to a jewel thief in just over a decade. One of the most insane lateral moves of all time
Bring back Chartist plays - not BBC Schools necessarily, just an absolute boatload of Chartist plays. A Director-General vote for Duncan is a vote for common sense
Reading some old BBC Schools broadcasting notes because the incredible Thomas Cooper play (WRITTEN BY ALAN PLATER) is featured and - man, the Beeb used to be something, didn't it? Our Tom would have strongly approved of the educational angle.
November 15, 2025 at 10:51 PM
Bring back Chartist plays - not BBC Schools necessarily, just an absolute boatload of Chartist plays. A Director-General vote for Duncan is a vote for common sense
Reading some old BBC Schools broadcasting notes because the incredible Thomas Cooper play (WRITTEN BY ALAN PLATER) is featured and - man, the Beeb used to be something, didn't it? Our Tom would have strongly approved of the educational angle.
November 15, 2025 at 10:45 PM
Reading some old BBC Schools broadcasting notes because the incredible Thomas Cooper play (WRITTEN BY ALAN PLATER) is featured and - man, the Beeb used to be something, didn't it? Our Tom would have strongly approved of the educational angle.
William Morris's 'News From Nowhere' is actually a how-to guide on what we should do with cities
"my least woke opinion is---"
That's enough. We've had enough people indulging in the "thrill of a little conservatism", as a treat. Of considering reactionary thought to be a salacious and taboo in a world descending into reactionary mania.
Give me your MOST woke opinions. We're bringing it back.
That's enough. We've had enough people indulging in the "thrill of a little conservatism", as a treat. Of considering reactionary thought to be a salacious and taboo in a world descending into reactionary mania.
Give me your MOST woke opinions. We're bringing it back.
November 14, 2025 at 11:31 AM
William Morris's 'News From Nowhere' is actually a how-to guide on what we should do with cities
Another lovely day working on my thesis about radicalism in the 19th century - now to spend several hours writing about Anglo-Saxon Witangemots
a man in a suit and bow tie asks how did i get here
ALT: a man in a suit and bow tie asks how did i get here
media.tenor.com
November 13, 2025 at 10:28 AM
Another lovely day working on my thesis about radicalism in the 19th century - now to spend several hours writing about Anglo-Saxon Witangemots
Reposted by Duncan Hamilton
Apart from the desire to produce beautiful things, the leading passion of my life has been and is hatred of modern civilization.
-William Morris
-William Morris
November 10, 2025 at 12:41 PM
Apart from the desire to produce beautiful things, the leading passion of my life has been and is hatred of modern civilization.
-William Morris
-William Morris
Last night I started David Olusoga's new Empire series (excellent and I hugely recommend it - David is a much better historian than he is a Faithful). Monday in the archive and the first pamphlet I open is a case of some good old Imperial Federationism from an ex-Chartist. Many, MANY such cases.
November 10, 2025 at 11:00 AM
Last night I started David Olusoga's new Empire series (excellent and I hugely recommend it - David is a much better historian than he is a Faithful). Monday in the archive and the first pamphlet I open is a case of some good old Imperial Federationism from an ex-Chartist. Many, MANY such cases.
Reposted by Duncan Hamilton
all if forgiven, this show is perfect. #GameOfWool
November 9, 2025 at 8:27 PM
all if forgiven, this show is perfect. #GameOfWool
Had a long-overdue haircut this week and made the decision to do a close shave afterwards. This proved to be a mistake but it has, at least, allowed me to complete the Carroll diagram of Duncan's Many Looks
Yes, I look good with the scruff and the cropped hair, I'm not ashamed.
Yes, I look good with the scruff and the cropped hair, I'm not ashamed.
November 7, 2025 at 6:56 PM
Had a long-overdue haircut this week and made the decision to do a close shave afterwards. This proved to be a mistake but it has, at least, allowed me to complete the Carroll diagram of Duncan's Many Looks
Yes, I look good with the scruff and the cropped hair, I'm not ashamed.
Yes, I look good with the scruff and the cropped hair, I'm not ashamed.
I am ~15 years into my Europa Universalis V game and I'm blown away. This is a simulation of the ENTIRE world for 500 years (1337-1821), yet still deep enough for me to lose myself in battling Devonian and Cornish tin merchants over their weird local legal system #SmashTheStannaryLaws #EUV
November 6, 2025 at 5:31 PM
I am ~15 years into my Europa Universalis V game and I'm blown away. This is a simulation of the ENTIRE world for 500 years (1337-1821), yet still deep enough for me to lose myself in battling Devonian and Cornish tin merchants over their weird local legal system #SmashTheStannaryLaws #EUV
Reposted by Duncan Hamilton
Hoping this helps our colleagues across the industry
November 5, 2025 at 1:01 PM
Hoping this helps our colleagues across the industry
Reposted by Duncan Hamilton
In Newport South Wales on November 4 1839 Chartists nearly succeeded in sparking a revolution. The crack regiment of the British Army shot 22 dead
wp.me/p15p2Q-8NH
wp.me/p15p2Q-8NH
Newport 4th November 1839: 22 Chartists demanding the vote shot dead by the army
Newport 4th November 1839: 22 Chartists demanding the vote shot dead by the army It is 186 years on 4th November since the Newport Rising in South Wales. The events of that day may have had a revol…
wp.me
November 4, 2025 at 5:39 PM
In Newport South Wales on November 4 1839 Chartists nearly succeeded in sparking a revolution. The crack regiment of the British Army shot 22 dead
wp.me/p15p2Q-8NH
wp.me/p15p2Q-8NH
Reposted by Duncan Hamilton
Listen to Journey Through Time, available on all major podcast platforms 🎙️
November 3, 2025 at 5:39 PM
Listen to Journey Through Time, available on all major podcast platforms 🎙️
After an extremely full-on week followed by an even more full-on weekend (don't do 8hrs of trains in one day, kids) I fully reserve the right to swan around Hexham in various high-quality items of wool clothing
November 3, 2025 at 12:06 PM
After an extremely full-on week followed by an even more full-on weekend (don't do 8hrs of trains in one day, kids) I fully reserve the right to swan around Hexham in various high-quality items of wool clothing
You know what time of year it is
October 31, 2025 at 7:24 PM
You know what time of year it is
Reposted by Duncan Hamilton
An order of chicken fingers is called a hand. “Gimme a hand of fingies,” you say. If you want dipping sauce you ask for them to “paint the nails.”
October 31, 2025 at 4:25 PM
An order of chicken fingers is called a hand. “Gimme a hand of fingies,” you say. If you want dipping sauce you ask for them to “paint the nails.”
Three bloody years on this PhD and I still get jumpscared by the low-contrast Thomas Cooper
October 31, 2025 at 11:16 AM
Three bloody years on this PhD and I still get jumpscared by the low-contrast Thomas Cooper
Armando Iannucci and Stewart Lee on the language of politics is perfect (and very distracting) background noise to write to
October 30, 2025 at 9:49 AM
Armando Iannucci and Stewart Lee on the language of politics is perfect (and very distracting) background noise to write to
There's a strange sort of enjoyment in seeing someone I massively respect and admire intellectually be so confidently wrong all of the time #CelebrityTraitors
October 29, 2025 at 10:09 PM
There's a strange sort of enjoyment in seeing someone I massively respect and admire intellectually be so confidently wrong all of the time #CelebrityTraitors
Starting my literature review with "*record scratch* *freeze frame* Yup, that's me. You're probably wondering just how I got into this situation"
(I know this isn't the Sunset Boulevard quote but it IS the quote of the mythologised version of the trope ca. 2010)
(I know this isn't the Sunset Boulevard quote but it IS the quote of the mythologised version of the trope ca. 2010)
October 29, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Starting my literature review with "*record scratch* *freeze frame* Yup, that's me. You're probably wondering just how I got into this situation"
(I know this isn't the Sunset Boulevard quote but it IS the quote of the mythologised version of the trope ca. 2010)
(I know this isn't the Sunset Boulevard quote but it IS the quote of the mythologised version of the trope ca. 2010)