Hope Talbot

I'm Hope Talbot, a freelance copywriter and journalist based in Bristol. In my journalism, I frequently write about arts and culture, politics, travel, and climate and sustainability. As a copywriter, I have written for companies across the construction, tech and agricultural industries.


I am currently pursuing a BA in History, and am due to graduate in 2024. As part of my degree, I specialise in gender, sexuality and communities in the medieval and early-modern periods. My final year dissertation is focusing on gossip within Early Modern Bristol and Somerset. I am also editor-in-chief of the academic journal, the Bristorian, based out of the University of Bristol Humanities Department. 

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Bristol 24/7 •

Can Bristol urban plan its way to accessibility?

In recent years, Bristol has become obsessed with urban planning. From cyclists in want of more bike lanes to growing pedestrianisation demands, urban planning has been billed as the solution to all societal issues. However, while good intentioned, these projects can often hinder rather than help the communities they are trying to serve. This has particularly been the case for Bristol’s disabled communities. In October 2022, protestors from Bristol Disability Equality Forum and Disabled Wome
Euronews.com •

Are Instagram microtrends making or breaking sustainable fashion?

Like most things, fashion is uncompromisingly tied to the changing social and economic landscape of our modern lives. To mediate these ever-changing attitudes, trend forecasting has become the trusted method that fashion retailers and consumers have relied upon for decades in deciding what to invest in, what to produce, and what to wear. However, with the increasingly randomised nature of social media, and the uncertainty caused by the pandemic, trends are becoming more difficult to predict. I
Euronews.com •

Why America’s record-breaking night temperatures are so concerning

This summer, America experienced its hottest June on record with more than 1,200 daily temperature records broken in the final week alone. An increasingly concerning element of this pattern is the number of record-breaking night temperatures- and their potentially deadly consequences. Why are warmer nights so dangerous? When temperatures fail to drop at night, our bodies struggle to cool down. Usually, during sleep, our body temperature dips and we are able to regulate our core body temperatu
The Bristorian •

Colston has been removed from the University Crest…now what? — The Bristorian

By Hope Talbot, Editor-in-Chief of the Bristorian, 3rd Year History In a statement last month, the University chose to remove symbols associated with slave trader Edward Colston from its crest. After this decision, how will the University continue to represent its histories? The Bristorian discusses the future of the crest alongside Dr. Richard Stone. Cities are obsessed by the stories they tell about themselves. Bristol is no exception. Renowned for its sea-faring ways, the city basks in a vi
Euronews.com •

What role does climate change play in Germany's severe flooding?

As high temperatures and severe rainfalls cause havoc across the globe, we take a look at what this means for the future of the climate crisis. Scores of people have died and many more are missing after heavy rainfall led to severe flooding in Germany. The states of Rhineland-Palatinate and North Rhine-Westphalia have been the worst hit with buildings and cars washed away. Chancellor Angela Merkel has called the situation a "catastrophe" and hundreds of soldiers are currently helping with resc
Bristol24/7 •

Exploring the lives of Black nurses in 1960s

A new project funded by Historic England highlights the experiences of nurses who worked at Glenside Hospital in Stapleton during the 1960s. Formerly focused on therapeutic treatment, the hospital also acted as a training school for nurses, which still runs today. The project, titled ‘Answering the Call’, reflects on the experiences of nurses who came to the UK from Commonwealth nations to address shortfalls in labour after the second world war. Using a collection of oral histories, photograp
Euronews.com •

What flooding in London and New York tells us about the future of climate change

Yesterday, parts of London experienced one month’s worth of rain within a day, causing severe flash floods across various areas of the city. Similar incidents of flash flooding have also been reported across several parts of Europe, with Bulgaria, France and Switzerland all experiencing similar flooding. This comes after New York experienced similarly severe flooding last Thursday as a result of Storm Elsa, with subways and highways flooded throughout the state. With America and parts of Europ
Bristol24/7 •

Protesters gather to advocate for special educational needs reform

Protesters have called for greater support for Special Education Needs and Disabled (SEND) children when applying for secondary school. At present, parents are facing immense difficulties trying to place their SEND children into secondary schools that can adequately cater to their needs. Much of this is due to a lack of funding allocation for SEND school places, as well as a lack of SEND training for mainstream teaching staff. Zoe Hewett, who organised the protest, has been struggling to find
The Bristorian •

Reframing Histories of Disability: How Should We Study Disabled Historical Figures? —

Goya was profoundly Deaf. Towards the end of his life, Matisse was a wheelchair user. Renoir had to tape his brushes to his hands due to difficulties with manual dexterity. Degas turned to sculpture in later life when his visual impairment left him unable to paint In many ways, the techniques these artists adopted due to their disabilities created the artistic styles they are now renowned for. By innovating, and moving past ableist art-making processes, they created new and dynamic forms to pus
Bristol24/7 •

The history behind Bristol's stained glass windows

From St Mary Redcliffe Church to Clifton Cathedral, Bristol is a place celebrated for its stained glass windows. But, as the city continues to grapple with its historic links to the transatlantic trade of enslaved Africans, some of these artworks have undergone significant transformations. At St Mary Redcliffe Church, reckoning with its artistic commemorations of Edward Colston led to a radical redesign of their stained glass windows. After seeking permission from the Consistory Court of the
The Bristorian •

Meme Culture and Institutional Critique: An Interview with UoB History Memes —

By Hope Talbot, Second Year History, Editor-In-Chief of the Bristorian Having a subject-specific meme page seems almost akin to a holy rite of passage. Across the country, student pages brim with memes to critique, confess and mock the trials and tribulations of academic institutions. Whilst they often remain playful group chat fodder, memes act as one of the few ways to truly express critique in a world that is so chronically online. In recent years, meme pages have become catalysts for insti
Bristol24/7 •

French bistro to open in east Bristol

A new French bistro is opening in Easton on Wednesday. The Baffled King is set to open on Chelsea Street, in what was once Pipal Tree. Basing their name on the Leonard Cohen lyric, owners Howard Brewer and Campbell Craig are Easton locals who hope to transform their local spot into a beacon of classical French cooking. The pair are joined by head chef Peter Laurenson, a mutual lover of French cuisine who previously trained in Paris’ Hyatt Regency. Howard and Campbell plan to cater to morning
The Bristorian •

The Black Panther Party and the Radical History of Self-Care —

Often thrown away as a fluffy term used by the wellness industry and aggressive marketing campaigns, self-care has strayed far from its origins. Whilst much has been done to promote self-care as a staple of good mental health, it is important to understand its origins as firmly grounded in Black female activism. Whilst indeed the concept of self-care existed in medical communities prior to the Black Panther Party, it was popularised and politicised by the party in the wake of its immense strugg
Bristol24/7 •

Sisters open first permanent coffee shop in south Bristol

After the success of their cafe-on-wheels, Stuffed, sisters Jodie and Kylie Lawrence have launched their first bricks-and-mortar site in Brislington. Stocking a range of cakes and pastries from local producers such as Pano Bakehouse and Cakesmiths, Kin will offer made-to-order breakfast bagels for passersby from a former nail and beauty salon on Sandy Park Road. After the success of their previous venture, Stuffed, a cafe running out of a converted Citroen van in Victoria Park, the sisters fel
Euronews.com •

Could Estonia be the most underrated country in Europe?

Quietly situated between Latvia and Finland, Estonia may well be the enigma of Northern Europe. Although Estonia may seem like any northern European nation, with its lush green rolling hills and ties to Viking crusades, there are some facts that may take you by surprise when learning about this intriguing country. For example, why does Estonia have a fifth season, and what does a fifth season even look like? More importantly, how has Estonia come to have one of the most tilted cities in the w
The Bristorian •

Peaky Blinders and Bad Reputations: An Ode to Birmingham's Newly Popularised Histories —

As a Fresher, you are consistently bombarded with the three major questions: What are you studying? What accommodation are you in? And (the one I always dreaded the most), where are you from? Saying that I was from Birmingham always acted as a fairly reliable litmus test of whether someone was worth talking to. I had a large contingent of people that would snigger, turn their noses up, and outrightly laugh when I said where I was from. I even had someone ask me if I'd ever been stabbed after so
Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods •

20 History Podcasts to Kick the Dust off the Past

So often, history is a resource that is watered down and closely guarded. Time and again, the most nuanced and complex historical narratives are quietly discarded, making way for “the Great Men of History,” upholding the achievements of so-called “exceptional men.” In spite of this, history podcasts continue to shed light on little known stories of the past in meticulous detail, as well as providing much-needed revisionism on assumptions of the past. From allowing indigenous communities the auto
BABMAG •

Reimagining Museums for Future Communities •

As a country that has swung in and out of lockdown for the past year, we are facing a severe cultural drought. When we can find it, arts and culture is usually wrapped up in homemade crafts and binge watching Netflix dramas from the comfort of our homes. But as we head towards a summer that’s promising added freedom and a much needed break from the monotonous pandemic-based entertainment, there will inevitably be an influx of creation and exploration of new, dynamic arts and culture. In stepp
The Independent •

Opinion: Here’s how I’m coping living with my parents in lockdown

So, I’m back at home with my parents, once again. I’ve become accustomed to the exact sound and pattern of their footsteps as they plod around the kitchen; and I’ve moved back into my teenage bedroom. For some people, this will either have been kept as a cringe-filled shrine to their former youth, or been converted into a desperate attempt at an office/spare room/storage space. At times like this, it’s difficult to feel that I’ve progressed beyond my wistful, 16-year-old self, begging for freed
Discover the Best Podcasts | Discover Pods •

How Podcasts Fight Falsified History

While living through a time constantly touted as historically significant, it is difficult to ignore the force of history in our daily lives. In gaining this self-awareness of “living through history,” every experience and documentation feels like a relic, a precious archive of your own personal experience of the pandemic. In creating our own narratives of the pandemic, and considering how we will re-construct these stories in decades to come, questions begin to arise as to what stories will sur
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