Author: Millie Eve

The name Tommy Shelby and the gang Peaky Blinders have become synonymous with the city of Birmingham, due to the incredible popularity of the TV show, but who were the real Peaky Blinders?   Gang culture during the late 19th and early 20th centuries was rife particularly in cities such as Birmingham and London. In Birmingham they were called ‘sloggers’ … Continue reading “The Story Behind the Peaky Blinders”

Mary Seacole, maybe a name that you have not heard before, with her story being buried for a hundred years. Mary battled against prejudice on part of her race and sex, but despite this she continued to pursue her goal of practicing medicine and became one of the unsung heroes of the Crimean War.   Mary was born in 1805, in Kingston, Jamacia. … Continue reading “Mary Seacole”

The turn of the sixteenth century was a period of great change in Europe and across the world with many figures such as Henry VIII, Leonardo da Vinci and Christopher Columbus reshaping the political, social and economic landscape of the time. Yet, as with many periods in history, the economics is often forgotten and the … Continue reading “Jakob Fugger. The Man Behind the Early-Modern Revolution – William Rogers”

Katherine Johnson, Mary Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan, three women who until recently were relatively unknown, but their work drew a path for future generations of women at NASA. Originally known as ‘human computers’, they were responsible for calculating complex maths equations for various airplanes and space flights, but all three went on to play a significant role in the Space Race. Their story has recently been brought … Continue reading “Women’s History Month – Hidden Figures at NASA: Katherine G. Johnson, Mary W. Jackson and Dorothy Vaughan”

Histories of sexuality emerged dramatically towards the end of the twentieth century with historical figures’ sexuality emerging into greater public attention. Stories of Alexander the Great, Wilfred Owen and Alan Turing showed that many major figures struggled with societal pressures and laws, yet the story of Chevalier d’Eon is often forgotten, despite presenting one of … Continue reading “Chevalier d’Eon. A Forgotten pioneer – William Rogers”

In honouring LGBTQIA+ History Month I wanted to highlight one of the key figures of the 1960s and 1970s, Marsha P. Johnson, who was a black transgender-rights activist and who was also, one of the pioneers of the Stonewall Riots in 1969.  Johnson was born in New Jersey on 24th January 1945 but moved to New York after graduating high school. … Continue reading “LGBTQIA+ History Month: Marsha P. Johnson”

Work experience is the great undergraduate Catch-22: How do you compete against hundreds of other students for that prized internship without the required skills and experience? And how do you get those elusive qualities without the right type of work experience to draw from? Of course, you are developing lots of transferrable skills through your … Continue reading “The Professional Skills Module – why choose a placement? By Lesley Griffiths”

Hello Everyone, I hope you all had a great Christmas and New Year! Last year was a bit of a roller coaster of a year to say the least and was immensely challenging for numerous reasons.  As we start the new year, and we are already facing so much uncertainty and a national lockdown, I wanted to post something about the importance of mental health and some tips for looking … Continue reading “Looking after Ourselves”