Category Archives: Heritage

The Lost Broch of Stirling

Posted on May 29, 2017 by

I am not sure what it says about me, but I have been seduced into some small crowdfunding projects over the last few years.  The subjects have been food, drink, rugby and history, so maybe I do know how and … Continue reading →

Posted in Architecture, Brochs, Buildings, Crowdfunding, Experiential, Heritage, History, Incredible Edible, Retail Change, Sexism, Social media, Stirling, University of Stirling, Urban, Urban History | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Ghost Signs and Retailing

Posted on April 3, 2017 by

As readers of this blog will know, I have always had an interest in the history of retailing and companies and businesses of the past. A good example has been the ongoing work with Neil Tyler around Sanders Bros, but … Continue reading →

Posted in Academics, Advertising, Architecture, Art, Brands, Buildings, Consumer Change, Corporate History, Ghost Signs, Heritage, Historic Shops, History, Retail History, Sanders Bros, Shopfronts, Signage, Stirling, Urban History | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Asa Briggs and Marks and Spencer

Posted on April 5, 2016 by

The other week the eminent social historian Asa Briggs died.  Despite my not being an historian this was a name I knew.  I came across his work when I wanted to look at aspects of the social history of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Academics, Corporate History, Heritage, History, Marks and Spencer, Retail Change, Retail History, Sanders Bros | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Roman Remains

Posted on March 26, 2015 by

Let’s get the rugby out of the way first. It’s all Scotland’s fault; these days it always is. Another wooden spoon and apparently  such a poor performance that the true champions, Wales, despite a magnificent demonstration of world-class rugby against … Continue reading →

Posted in Eataly, Food, Food Quality, Food Tourism, Heritage, Logistics, Markets, Public Realm, Scotland Food and Drink, Slow Food, Urban History | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Hail The Town! The Scottish Town in the Age of the Enlightenment

Posted on March 13, 2015 by

One of the perks of running this blog is that I can occasionally hand it over to others for contributions and get to learn something about their interests and viewpoints. Readers of previous guest blogs will thus have seen Anne … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Enlightenment, Heritage, History, Improvement, Public Realm, Scotland's Town and High Streets, Towns, Urban History | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Painting the Town: Scottish Urban History in Art

Posted on September 8, 2014 by

One of the joys of working at a University is that (on the whole!) colleagues are interesting and interested and you can have conversations that take very different turns. One recently with my frequent co-author Anne Findlay ended with “oh … Continue reading →

Posted in Academics, Art, Heritage, Scotland's Town and High Streets, Town Centres, Towns, Urban History | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

John Lewis: Stories of a Shopkeeper

Posted on June 13, 2014 by

Earlier this week I had a number of meetings in London and for the last of them I was looking for a central café. I am not sure that’s quite how John Lewis on Oxford Street really likes to think … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Click and Collect, Department Stores, Heritage, Historic Shops, John Lewis Partnership, London, Retail History, Sanders Bros, Waitrose | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment