An alternative look at our city’s history, this time from below. How did the people – & not the kings, queens, lords & generals – forge our city’s story? With Bryn Griffiths.

Bryn is not a professional historian and he only claims to be making a small contribution to our city’s story but he hopes to encourage others to find out more. He is inspired by the socialist historians such as Rodney Hilton, Christopher Hill, Eric Hobsbawm and EP Thompson. If you want to know more about these people Bryn recently published a podcast with the American historian, Professor Harvey J Kaye, to discuss how we might forge a history from below. You can have a listen here:
https://youtu.be/gNE6C_sb58Q?si=YRYcoD6t3B0tDbuI

If you came last year, you can expect some new sites and stories as the people’s story continues to unfold! This year the Jane’s Walks people’s history theme gets a boost as Bryn will also be hosting an evening event on Bank Holiday Monday with historian Professor Corinne Fowler who is the author of the fantastic book Our Island Stories Country Walks Through Colonial Britain (see elsewhere in the programme).

We will end the walk, but continue to talk about our city history, with a well-earned drink in the Odd One Out aka “the Oddie”.

Meet: Sunday 2.30 pm, at the War Memorial (2.5hrs).

Bryn Griffiths is a local labour movement activist. He can often be found on protests and community actions in Colchester doing his best to help write the next chapter of Colchester’s history from below!

Meet: 2.30pm, The War Memorial., Colchester High Street End: Colchester Town Station. (2.5m, 2.5hrs).

ACCESSIBILITY: A city centre walk that is hard-surfaced all the way and step-free. Some medium-steep gradients. Wheelchair users in need of assistance will find plenty of help on hand, but please be in touch to discuss further if necessary.