Hyde, once a bustling mill town nestled in the Tameside borough of Greater Manchester, played a significant role in Britain’s Industrial Revolution. Its red-brick chimneys and clattering looms were not only the soundtrack of progress but also the backdrop for stories of hardship, endurance, and resilience. Amidst this clamour, voices rose, quietly at first, then… Read More voices from the mills: the poets of hyde’s cotton industry
In an age marked by rapid technological change, global unrest, and a persistent ache for meaning, the voice of the poet feels more urgent than ever. We live in a time where artificial intelligence writes headlines, climate disasters displace millions, and war is no longer history; it is livestreamed. Amongst all of this, the poet… Read More the modern-day poet: speaking light into a darkened world
The Industrial Revolution, beginning in the late 18th century, transformed the fabric of society, bringing about unprecedented advances in machinery, urbanisation, and economic growth. But beneath the hum of steam engines and the rise of smokestacks, poets heard something else: the wail of displaced workers, the mechanisation of the human spirit, and the loss of… Read More poetry and the industrial revolution: verse against the machine
I am drawn to poetry in all its forms, whether a simple quote, a line of spoken word, or a verse that breaks free from convention. Poetry speaks to me with an immediacy and emotional force that few other mediums can match. Words hold power, and I am especially intrigued by how poetry has long… Read More Poetry and revolution: the voice of fire in the human heart
Rachel Bakewell 