I’ll be delivering a presentation, entitled ‘Picking Up Threads or Spinning New Yarns? Investigating the Uncanny in Industrial Age Communities’, at the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Research Workshop, 12.25pm, 25 March, at the Strutts Community Centre, Belper, Derbyshire, DE56 1UU.

The working abstract for the presentation is as follows:

The Industrial Folkways project explores the effects of mechanisation, urbanisation and commercialisation on lifecycle and seasonal customs, and supernatural beliefs and practices, in eighteenth- and nineteenth-century Derbyshire.

It aims to sample contexts dating to the 1700s – mid 1800s in and around the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site, for potential evidence of folk magic; traditions relating to death and burial; and Christmas customs.

This is with the objective of comparing traditions in Georgian and early Victorian urban and industrial neighbourhoods, with those from contemporaneous and earlier rural and agricultural communities.

The project may prospectively enlarge upon what we know of people’s hope and fears at this time of profound change; and provide scope to consider how popular traditions were adapted and created in maintaining and (re-)shaping social relationships and identities.

IF intends to share discoveries through no- or low-cost informal learning activities and resources, incorporating storytelling, art and crafts; potentially enhancing interest in, access to, and engagement with, the historic environment.

Please note that this may change, as I develop and refine the paper over the next few weeks (content edited 10-02-25).

I’m aiming to upload the presentation to this website in the week following the workshop; and / or related material.

I look forward to meeting any readers on the day!