Did you ever wonder how we got here, and how sometimes tiny pieces of history make up, and have shaped our lives?
Or realised how every day, all of us are making history?
Join me, Sarah Dowd, in exploring what has happened in the everyday lives of people for the better, or at least the experiences that have just make us laugh and say…
This is… History. For F***’s Sake, the podcast that explores untold stories that make a difference.
When the world seemingly shut down for almost two years, what were we doing? We were creating art, making history and crying out of human contact. We were craving our culture.
I’m your host, Sarah Dowd, and I have worked on over 200 history, heritage and arts projects in the last 20 years across the world, everywhere from the Imperial War Museum in London to exploring how we put a fleet of ships in the sky, or bringing wrecks back from Honolulu.
I was recently diagnosed with ADHD which has brought a whole new layer of thinking about creativity and how we get people – ALL PEOPLE – really engaged with our shared history and culture.
Stories. Art. Film. Books. Ships. Music. Museums. People. Joy. Experiences. Humour. Humanity.
Because it’s all History, For F***’s Sake.
Find out more at historyffs.com
What happens when a community has the courage to challenge, the faith to persist, and the nerve to imagine a different future? And what is lost when the buildings that held that community together begin to disappear?
In part two, Sarah Dowd reunites with Chris Smith, Chair of the Historic Chapels Trust, and Steve Pilcher, longtime campaigner for England’s chapels, to take the story further, from nonconformist conscience as a force for reform and public morality, to the harder questions of what comes next.
They also discuss Sunday schools as engines of social mobility, the hard road of repurposing sacred space, fundraising in a pandemic, and a rare positive tale of winding a charity down.
Highlights:
00:00 Why the “nonconformist conscience” changed Britain
01:44 Bethesda Chapel: the power and perils of an iconic building
04:10 Why nonconformist architecture is designed for the voice
08:10 Sunday schools, education, and the struggle for opportunity
16:54 Courage & mutual aid: what builds and sustains a chapel community
18:13 When faith fades, what happens to the buildings?
21:22 The painful art of letting go and the future uses of chapels
28:56 Meeting the modern challenge: inventing new reasons for old places
30:41 The tough decision to wind down the Historic Chapels Trust
41:05 Why buildings are only as strong as the people powering them
54:42 Nonconformity in action: charity, courage, and regulatory reform
57:10 Working with new generations and new energy
61:07 The surprising success of community asset transfers
63:31 Having faith in people, in change, and in impossible things
About Chris Smith:
Chris Smith is Chair of Historic Chapels Trust and a lifelong heritage professional with extensive experience in conservation, planning and historic environment management. Formerly a Director at Historic England, he became Chair in 2019 and has since focused on securing sustainable futures for chapels through community ownership and adaptive reuse. Chris is passionate about heritage as a tool for shaping the future, not simply preserving the past.
About Steve Pilcher:
Steve Pilcher is a heritage specialist and former Deputy Director of Historic Chapels Trust, where he worked from 2003 to 2016. Before that, he spent two decades with English Heritage across industrial archaeology, conservation and policy. A building conservation specialist, Steve continues to support heritage projects and volunteer-led initiatives today.
About Sarah Dowd:
I’m Sarah Dowd – writer, speaker, heritage and arts consultant, producer, and all-around nerd – here to share the stories of our past that make us laugh, gasp, and mutter: It’s History… For F***k’s Sake.
For 25+ years I’ve created immersive, inclusive experiences that bring history alive, from rallying Second World War convoys through London to staging performances between Pearly Kings and Gen Z creatives. My work spans museums, cathedral crypts, pop-up theatres, global brands, and community projects across the UK and beyond.
As a Canadian living between the UK and France (with a late ADHD diagnosis that fuels my curiosity and creativity), I zigzag through culture, history, and big ideas, but never boring ones.
Every week on HistoryFFS, we explore how history echoes through today, make sure you are following the show so you don’t miss an episode.
Connect with Sarah:
Website:www.historyffs.com
LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahdowd/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/historyffs-pod/
Substack: @historyffs
YouTube: @HistoryFFSPod
Instagram: @historyFFSPod
TikTok: @historyffspod
Bluesky: @historyffs.bsky.social
Following on from last week’s episode, we are back with Sarah, Chris and Steve for Part 2 as episode 9 of History For F***’s Sake Season 2 is out now!
What happens when a community has the courage to challenge, the faith to persist, and the nerve to imagine a different future? And what is lost when the buildings that held that community together begin to disappear?
In part two, Sarah Dowd reunites with Chris Smith, Chair of the Historic Chapels Trust, and Steve Pilcher, longtime campaigner for England’s chapels, to take the story further, from nonconformist conscience as a force for reform and public morality, to the harder questions of what comes next.
They also discuss Sunday schools as engines of social mobility, the hard road of repurposing sacred space, fundraising in a pandemic, and a rare positive tale of winding a charity down.
This episode is also dedicated to Sarah Dowd’s Aunt Sandra, in honour of 60 years of Songs of Praise.
You can check out the episode here (and anywhere you get your podcasts):
Spotify
Apple Podcasts