# oral history of working class Bristol



## Ground Elder (Jan 23, 2006)

15 years ago I was the proud possessor of a couple of books of Bristol working class oral history. Then I lent them to some fucker who never gave them back   Now I can't remember their names, but seem to recall they were published by a local history group and were similar in format to _A Shocking History of Bristol_ (I think that's what it is called, as I'm too idle to walk over to the bookshelf and check...) and mostly covered the 1930s to 1950s.

Anyone recognise the books I'm talking about?  

And if, by any chance, the fucker mentioned above is reading this - can he return them at once


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## butchersapron (Jan 23, 2006)

Was one was 'Bristol's other History'  - a classic of the Bristol broadsides series:

Who were bristols shoemakers poets
Who burnt the suggragrettes hop in Queens Road and why?
Who were the monkey town mab and the black hand gang?


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## Ground Elder (Jan 24, 2006)

I don't think that's the one, although the Black Hand Gang do get a mention. What's the cover look like?

It's coming back to me now - the second book had a chapter on the development of St.Pauls and St.Agnes in the early 19th Century.

I ripped it off for a bit in a squatting newsletter once, but didn't credit the source     I'll dig it out of the archive and see if it offers any more clues...

You were my main hope of ever finding them again


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## butchersapron (Jan 24, 2006)

Well i'm away from my local books atm so don't lose hope -Bristol citizen might well be able to help as well...


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## Ground Elder (Jan 25, 2006)

Definitely not _Bristol's Other History_, but it does look interesting. I see from Abe that there's a shop in Newquay with a copy and I'm up there Thursday


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## bristol_citizen (Jan 25, 2006)

You could also try Annie Coggins in St Nicholas Market. She's got loads of secondhand Bristol books. She can be found on the stall at the back of the Corn Exchange.


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## Zaskar (Jan 26, 2006)

Have you tried the university library?  They are often very helpfull.


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## Ground Elder (Jan 26, 2006)

Cheers for the suggestions, but I'm not in Bristol. About seven years since I was last there, so I'm well overdue a visit


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