Edition Five: 2007/2008

History

1. Pears, Richard (2008) Image, Identity and Allusion: The Ridley monuments in St. Nicholas Cathedral, Newcastle upon Tyne (Part Time PhD, University of Newcastle upon Tyne).

Abstract:

This article examines the themes of culture and identity. Identity remains a critical issue today, encompassing questions of national security, class consciousness, transnational allegiances and cultural choices. These questions are not new and this article will explore the self-images projected by two eighteenth century gentlemen as examples of the local, national and international identities claimed by the eighteenth century elite of North East England.

Mediaeval History

2. Young, Christopher (2008) An investigation and analysis of the activities of the Knights Templar in the North-East, specifically the Cleveland area, that provides an additional comment on the current historiography (Part Time MA, University of Teesside).

Abstract:

This paper is a new study into the activities of the renowned Order of the Knights Templar in the North-East during the medieval period. A background is first given into who are the Templars and what is the context of their existence. This discusses the series of events that led to their establishment and what characteristics the Order took during their lifetime. Analysis is then carried out on the existing historiographical work that has gone into the Templars in this area and its short comings. Finally the new research carried out in this paper is discussed. This draws upon more locally sourced evidence giving it a more extensive argument that the Knights Templars had aimed to craft an intelligently placed network of holdings in the Cleveland area and to some extent had been successful. Some of the holdings discussed seem to be new finds when compared to the studies of the Order by other historians, thus this is what assists this unique analysis. Evidence is taken from a range of sources from Charters, Chronicles to Archaeological reports. Then finally the paper finishes by discussing what can be concluded from this research, looking into the value of the holdings in the overall context of the Knights Templar as a kind of international force and what changes occur over time to affect the value of this little part of a bigger network.

History

3. Easingwood, Ruth (2008) Our Daily Bread: Food, Culture and Power in Occupied Germany 1945-1949 (Part Time PhD, University of Newcastle upon Tyne).

Abstract:

In the context of post war Germany, feeding the German people has usually been the focus of political and economic debate. This paper examines food as a cultural phenomenon, exploring how food can be seen as a motif of victory for the British occupiers who ate well in a land of scarcity.

History of Film

4. Ossenbrügge, Julia (2008) Images of Berlin in Film (Full Time MA, University of Newcastle upon Tyne).

Abstract:

The myths and individual secrets of a city have always fascinated film makers and our images of cities and their history are strongly influenced by their appearance and presentation in the media.

Regarding different images of postwar Berlin throughout the last thirty years, the essay will take into consideration three different movies (We Children from Bahnhof Zoo [1981]; Run, Lola, Run [1998] and finally Goodbye Lenin[2003]) and discuss the following main question: How is Berlin presented and which effect does this cause?

History

5. Wilkinson, Louise (2008) The Auxiliary Air Force – How typical were the two elite London squadrons in relation to the wider organisation? (MPhil, University of Teesside).

Abstract:

The contemporary view of the Auxiliary Air Force presented in existing literature is arguably too simplistic and research has been undertaken to establish the nature and composition of the AAF and how its social and cultural structures related to the wider social structures and values of early-to-mid-twentieth century England. A small part of my MPhil thesis has been used to write this journal article and as such only a small section of the research has been presented here, thus this article focuses on considering the popular image of the AAF which has often been based on the well-publicised exploits of two elite London squadrons – 600 and 601 – to assess whether this view was representative of other squadrons throughout the country during the early part of the twentieth century.

Archaeology

6. Foster, Sarah (2008) Religion and the Landscape – How the conversion affected the Anglo-Saxon landscape and its role in Anglo-Saxon ideology (Full Time PhD, University of Newcastle upon Tyne).

Abstract:

The term ‘Landscape’ has been viewed in many different ways throughout recent human history. Its changing definitions within archaeology demonstrate this case effectively (see Bender 1993, Gosden 1999, Tilley 1994). How did the perceptions of ‘Landscape’ change though the Anglo-Saxon conversion? Such far-reaching changes in ideologies would surely affect how the landscape was perceived and utilised by the people who were subject to this conversion. The landscape was a useful tool to the Christian missionaries, a medium for the expression of ideas which all people regardless of social standing and regional identities could understand. This essay will explore the role of Landscape in conversion and analyse the changes which Christianity wrought upon the English Landscape.