Ian Waugh

Made in Dorset, brought up in Devon, living in England. English broadcaster, historian, author. Views are mine.

[Ian Waugh @iwaugh]

The South West isn’t a forgotten backwater.
It’s bold, creative, with its own voice.
We lost local radio & TV — and with it more than news.
We lost the mirror showing who we are.
The rhythm of our communities.
Our power to speak and be heard.
Reclaim it — or lose it forever.

[Ian Waugh @iwaugh]

BBC News this morning (02 Feb 2026), lead page, presents a gallery of horrors and nasties.

[Ian Waugh @iwaugh]

On the evening of 18 April 1930, listeners to the BBC’s evening bulletin heard an announcement that has since passed into legend: “Good evening. Today is Good Friday. There is no news.” #BBC #RadioHistory #BBCArchive #PublicServiceBroadcasting https://t.co/mcMCaDYSdb

[Ian Waugh @iwaugh]

I have traced the legend of the Mohocks, aristocratic rakes who terrorised 18th-century streets.
Now David Bowie’s final notes reveal he planned to put them in a musical.
https://t.co/GI3NKX4AXJ #DavidBowie #Mohocks #OldBritishNews #HistoricalGangs #CulturalHistory #LondonCrime

[Ian Waugh @iwaugh]

1885 - From Irish arson to Canterbury highway robbery, a runaway bankrupt, and an 1885 miners' strike — gripping tales from Victorian England. #VictorianHistory #FamilyHistory #BritishHistory #StJamesGazette #Ireland #RailwayAccident #1885News #Genealogy https://t.co/1CHWBUKkcY

[Ian Waugh @iwaugh]

📜 Industrial Tragedy in 1859: Fatal Chemical Exposure at Torpoint Factory
In 1859, two men died after inhaling toxic nitrous acid fumes at a fertiliser factory in Cornwall. #History #Cornwall #IndustrialRevolution #WorkplaceSafety #Genealogy #19thCentury
https://t.co/ilaQ6Zdhye

[Ian Waugh @iwaugh]

Petty Sessions: Drunkenness and Livestock Theft in Redditch and Feckenham - 1872
#VictorianJustice #PettySessions #BromsgroveCourt #DroitwichHistory #CrimeAndPunishment #WorcestershireLaw #HistoricalCrime #DrunkennessLaws #LivestockTheft #19thCenturyCourt

https://t.co/tx8kUjCE7f

[Ian Waugh @iwaugh]

Racial and Ethnic Bias in British Newspapers (Pre-1950)
#HistoricalBias #PressPrejudice #MediaRacism #NewspaperHistory #BritishPress
#ColonialNarratives #RacialStereotypes #EthnicBias #Pre1950Press #HistoricalRacism

https://t.co/SicVx8PeXs

[Ian Waugh @iwaugh]

As a lad of the 1960s, for me, a spotty, skinny boy, Marianne Faithfull remained my number one. She was everything on so many levels. Adored through the decades to the very end.

[Ian Waugh @iwaugh]

Throwback to 1906: Police court cases in Middlesex highlight public drunkenness, disorderly conduct, and even an arrest over 'talking politics.' 🍺⚖️ #History #EdwardianEra
https://t.co/oxVFzsATec

[Ian Waugh @iwaugh]

Victorian Justice in 1864 🧐

Drunkenness? £10 fines or jail.
Punching a policeman? £20 fine.
Illegal prize fight? Deny it, still blamed! 🥊
Selling beer on Sunday? 🍺
Victorian problems, timeless chaos. #History #NottinghamForest https://t.co/q70ogJl1Ne

[Ian Waugh @iwaugh]

Victorian railways in 1887: 919 killed, 3,590 injured. Passengers, workers, trespassers & suicides highlight widespread risks, with carelessness a key factor. Safety still evolving. https://t.co/B3kYOB7T1R
#RailwayHistory #VictorianEra

[Ian Waugh @iwaugh]

Forgery, Fake Wills, and Opened Graves: The Shocking 1898 Scandal of Herbert Davies, the 'Genealogist' Who Fooled a Colonel to Rewrite History. 🕰️⚖️ #HistoryScandal #Forgery https://t.co/XYHfOLWTy3

[Ian Waugh @iwaugh]

🚂 Railway Robbery in 1884! 🕰️
Four young sailors stole a fellow passenger's bag on a train to Birkenhead. A vivid glimpse into Victorian crime and justice! #VictorianHistory #RailwayCrime #Birkenhead https://t.co/G70eoR2bpj

[Ian Waugh @iwaugh]

Exploring the forgotten world of rare and short-lived newspapers: niche publications that captured fleeting moments in history, from radical movements to local curiosities. 📰✨ #History #Newspapers #RareFinds
https://t.co/FwLrphBY2K

[Ian Waugh @iwaugh]

Crystal-clear radio in 1947 – without a radio set! 🖥️🔊 Rediffusion brought BBC programmes to homes via private wire, avoiding interference & costly batteries. A glimpse of post-war tech innovation! #History #VintageTech #OldBritishNews
https://t.co/69ucl5Q4l5

[Ian Waugh @iwaugh]

The Gloucester Journal on Saturday, 23 August 1862, details a legal case involving a young man named Herbert Cresswell. He was charged with and admitted guilt to the crime of forgery. #Gloucestershire #Cheltenham #oldnews #history #oldbritishnews
https://t.co/4vG3Yv3ed1

[Ian Waugh @iwaugh]

Cheltenham, 1830: An unusual incident of wife-selling shocks a bustling corn market. A snapshot of 19th-century England’s social tensions and gender norms—explore the full story with #OldBritishNews. #HistoryRevealed https://t.co/VGy1cNwY3N

[Ian Waugh @iwaugh]

🌄 'From Quarries to Conservation' explores Dartmoor's granite industry & railway, uncovering how labour, industry, & conservation shaped its identity. A story of resilience, transformation, and heritage. 🏞️ #History #Dartmoor #IndustrialHeritage
https://t.co/IN6SZrI5qz

[Ian Waugh @iwaugh]

Family notices in old newspapers are important - offering a rich resource for genealogical research and insights into social history. Here is an example:

Gloucester Citizen (Thursday 8th December 1927):
https://t.co/ywh6n9edmF #bdm #family #notice #genealogy #history