– buildings and society, a talk by Simon Birch and the Bedminster Tobacco Women group
Tobacco indisputedly helped to make Bristol the city it is today, making its mark both in the built environment and socially. In this talk, Simon Birch and a member of the Bedminster Tobacco Women group will give us a short history of the tobacco industry in Bristol from 1786 to present day. They will be looking at the surviving buildings and the experiences of people who worked in the industry. They will make suggestions for further celebration and interpretation.
Simon Birch is Chair of Bristol Civic Society and recently completed an MA in Historical Archaeology at Bristol University with a project on the Archaeology of the Cigarette Industry in Bristol. Last Spring he led two very popular walks tracing the development of the tobacco industry through south Bristol.
The Bristol Tobacco Women is a group of Bedminster residents who are bringing together the stories of the people who worked in the tobacco factories of South Bristol. They are interviewing as many former tobacco workers as possible – recording their stories, and collecting images and documents which will bring their experiences back to life.
7.30pm Upper Meeting Room, Friends Meeting House, Hampton Road , BS6 6JE Members £2 (voluntary), Non-members £5. Booking not required.