Our run of excellent new experts joining Placecloud continues with Dr Sarah Kenny, teaching fellow in Modern British History at the University of Birmingham. Welcome Sarah!
Sarah is a historian of youth, leisure, and popular culture in the twentieth century. She has published on urban regeneration and the night time economy, and is currently writing a book about youth culture and urban leisure in post-war Britain for Manchester University Press.
A selection of Sarah’s forthcoming viewpoints:
Astoria, Charing Cross Road
The Astoria Picture Theatre and Dance Hall opened in 1927, quickly becoming a popular spot for socialising and dancing. The Astoria was built during the British dancing ‘boom’ of the 1910s and 1920s.
100 Club, Oxford Street
Live music has been played at this location since 1942, and as the 100 Club since 1964. This viewpoint jumps into one of the venue’s most iconic periods and explores its association with punk music and fashion in the 1970s.
Trafalgar Square – Freedom to Party rally
Trafalgar Square has long been a site of marching and protest. This viewpoint takes us to one such moment in the square’s history: the Freedom to Party campaign rally on January 27th 1990.
Ad Lib Club, Leicester Place
Step inside one of the central hubs of the 1960s social elite. The Ad Lib Club was well-known as a favourite of The Beatles, and was closely associated with the decade’s new music and fashions.
Canarby Street – His Clothes; and Carnaby Street – Lady Jane
These two viewpoints take you to the centre of 1960s youth fashion: Carnaby Street. Exploring two key boutiques of the era, His Clothes and Lady Jane, the viewpoints discuss just why clothing and fashion are so important to our understanding of this period.
Alexandra Palace
Alexandra Palace opened in the 1870s and has a long history of providing civic entertainment. This viewpoint transports us to a counter-cultural event in April 1967, where a fundraiser was held for the underground publication International Times.
Wimpy, Lyon’s Corner
The first Wimpy Bar opened in Lyon’s Corner House in 1954, and was the first American-style fast food eatery to open in Britain. A staple of many teenage shopping trips and nights out, Wimpy quickly became a household name.