Thursday 19 December 2013

Blog Five - 2013


Fifth Blog - December 2013


Hello and welcome to the festive period. A time for glancing backwards, looking forwards and enjoying the present (or presents...).


The BBC are in the early stages of their own big review. On October 8th the BBC Director-General Tony Hall gave a speech outlining his vision for the BBC over the next 10 years, subject to BBC Trust approval. http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/speeches/2013/tony-hall-vision.html

If you read my third blog, reach out to the BBC, show them some love and tell them about Big History here:-


Or here:-


Or even here:-

BBC Where Next Feedback, B5232, 
The Mill, 
Burn Lane, 
Hexham, 
NE46 3RU.

Maybe in 2015 there will be a place for Big History (sandwiched between The Great War [2014] and William Shakespeare [2016]). We live in hope.


Also on a UK level is Big History UK:- http://www.bighistory.org.uk/?page_id=20

This is something that is lacking in the UK and is a real chance to keep in touch with the pioneering spirit of Big History. We need a structure from the grassroots organisations to the national and ultimately international organisations already in place.

One part of the UK actively involved with the USA Big History people, albeit at a pilot stage, is South Ayrshire, Scotland. Read about them here:- http://www.sqa.org.uk/sqa/63348.html


Meanwhile a little closer to home in Leeds. The City Council are currently debating whether to push themselves forward and compete for the European City of Culture in 2023:- http://www.leedsinspired.co.uk/events/should-leeds-bid-european-capital-culture

It would be great as a Leeds lad to be able to immerse myself in my home town. From our tropical past to our current multi culturism we enjoy today. Highlighted with our twinned cities, various museums, carnivals and annual events. It would be one hell of a journey, partly forged from chemicals found in dying stars! 

There is an open meeting at the Leeds Town Hall on January 7th 2014 between 2 and 5pm. https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/should-leeds-bid-for-european-capital-of-culture-tickets-9478128337


In other news 2019 sees the 200th anniversary of The Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society who's aims in their own word are "To promote the advancement of science, literature and the arts in the City of Leeds and elsewhere, and to hold, give or provide for meetings, lectures, classes, and entertainments of a scientific, literary or artistic nature". What better way for them to celebrate their bicentenary five years from now than to host a season of regular Big History lectures at the Leeds City Museum! http://www.leedsphilandlit.org.uk/



Enjoy the rest of the festive period and see you all at some point in the Roman New Year. Beware the 'Ides of March' (Idus Martii or Idus Martiae) someone once said.


TTFN,

Chris Oddy
Big History Leeds

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Thursday 5 December 2013

Blog Four - 2013


Fourth Blog - September 2013

Looks like summer is just about over.

I thought earlier this year that while setting up the various Big History Leeds lectures I would make use of the social networks and piece together via the Internet The History of Big History (or something along those lines).

So, I thought I would start logically with Robert Chambers' 'Vestiges of the Natural History of Creation' originally published in 1844. Now Big History doesn't quite work like that. As I soon realised that I had to go back further as Big History emerged from Cosmic Evolution. The scientific approach to the Cosmos goes back to ancient Greece. Oh, but you have to go back further still, as that only emerged after humanity developed frontal lobes and began worshiping the Sun, Moon and stars back in the Palaeolithic. You could even argue that humanity itself began six million years or so ago with Orrorin Tugenesis.

So, I will return back to it soon...


Meanwhile, I have started to sort out setting up the Big History Leeds website and planning how I want it to look. Watch this space...

I have also set up a Blog account on Blogger (Google).
http://bighistoryleeds.blogspot.co.uk

As well as the above, I have also set up a teacher account with the Big History Project with a view to future Big History Leeds lecturers having access to the Big History Project. If you are a teacher and are interested in Big History get in touch with the Big History Project people and set up an account! There is a lot of interesting stuff on there. https://course.bighistoryproject.com/bhplive


I am interested in the fifteen year development plan for the Leeds Metropolitan District being run by the Leeds City Council at the moment. They use the following documented bodies amongst others in their own cultural findings for the history of Leeds :- 

1) Leeds City Council, Village and Neighbourhood Design Statements - http://www.leeds.gov.uk/council/Pages/Design-Neighbourhood-and-Village-Design-Statements.aspx

2) Leeds City Council,1994, Leeds Landscape Assessment - 

3) West Yorkshire Archaeology Service, Historic Environment Record - http://www.archaeology.wyjs.org.uk/wyjs-archaeology-her-r.asp

One thing I have noticed, and I think in the long term it should be seen as vital, is our role within the history of the metropolitan district of Leeds as a whole. In the long run it is the piecing together of all the histories of Leeds which will give Leeds its own true cultural identity. You could take it back as far as you dare possible as there is 4.5 billion years of Earth history to go at! 

You can bring cultural history up through the varying cultural changes made over the years whether it be Celtic, Roman, Viking (The Three Ridings that made up Yorkshire stems from the Vikings), Breton (Elmet preceeded Leeds in the 5th century when Leeds was Loidis forest), Anglo-Saxon and Norman.

Then we became part of England, the United Kingdom, the Commonwealth, the EU and the UN which ties everything up to where we are multi-culturally today.

In the end each area will have its own vision and ideas, but by knitting them all together we will find Leeds' true identity. Remember as settlements became part of Leeds Town / City / Metropolitan District - They became part of Leeds.

Anyway, that is enough from me.


Take care

Chris Oddy

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