British Narratives: From Local Events to Global Footprints

My historical research is driven by a desire to reconstruct the lives of those who shaped our past, using both the spectacle of modern reenactment and the quiet permanence of geography. I begin with deep-dive archival research to uncover the narrative arc of a character or era—such as the remarkable journey of John Blandy from the fields of Dorset to the mercantile heights of Napoleonic-era Madeira. To bring these stories to life, I identify "living backdrops"—contemporary events like Kent Hoodening, St. George’s Day parades, or Seaford’s Bonfire Society celebrations—where the visual echoes of the past allow me to capture the atmosphere and texture of a bygone age through documentary photography.

However, history is as much about place as it is about performance. My methodology frequently takes me beyond the event to the physical geography where history unfolded. Whether walking the tenant farms of Dorset or exploring the volcanic coastlines of Madeira, I undertake fieldwork to gain local perspectives and original imagery that cannot be found in standard textbooks. By stitching together scholarly desk research with on-site observations, I craft narrative histories that explore what it felt like to live through these transformative eras. These essays serve as a bridge, connecting the historical character to the modern landscape they left behind.