History ‘Who looks out for the losers in History?’ ‘Should we pursue truth in History?’ ‘Should the claim that ‘fish and chips is a proper subject for a social historian’ be taken with a pinch of salt?’ These are just some of the weighty issues that have been discussed over tea and biscuits at the weekly History Society meetings.
ignores the experiences of ordinary citizens. Members have also been very privileged to hear eminent speakers throughout the year. Their ideas have certainly left a mark, not least by giving members a taste of the historical profession outside the classroom.’ Charles Apthorp, Year 13 Alongside the History Society, we have recently established the Dr Alec Ryrie OA History Prize . The prize is for all boys coming to the College from Dulwich Prep London, thereby treading the same path as Dr Ryrie himself. In October, Dr Ryrie came to the College to open an exhibition in our Archives on Tudor Witchcraft, which he had helped to curate, and addressed a special meeting of the History Society, attended by current and past members, some of whom helped to re-establish the Society in the late 1940s.
The History Society has a long and distinguished list of visiting speakers, ranging from leading academics, writers and documentary makers, to those who have a direct personal link with great events of the past. Recent well-known speakers have included Lord Hurd, Professor Orlando Figes, Dr Lawrence Goldman and Tristram Hunt MP. ‘ Questions posed during meetings are deeply invigorating and aim to assess underlying problems, which strike at the heart of the discipline itself. For instance, in a meeting about the History of Ideas, we spent time deciding whether ideas and actions could be studied in isolation. In attempting an answer, the group became exposed to the debate amongst historians as to whether focusing on ideas leads to an elitist view of history that
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