
London on a Sunday
This course will take place in person.
This informal and enjoyable short course uses original historical materials to discover changing attitudes to ‘the day of rest’ in London. The course considers themes including family, faith, and football.
Who is this course for?
This course is for anyone with an interest in:
- Discovering London’s changing social history since the 1860s
- Exploring the past through original historical source materials
- Reimagining the city’s streets and homes on a Sunday from the 1860s to the 1980s.
Will I need any equipment or materials?
The session involves research activities using original sources. Please bring reading glasses if you wear them.
Practical information
This course will be taught through the handling, examination and reading of archive materials, along with tutor presentations and group discussions.
How we’re keeping you safe
August 2022 update: Keeping you safe and healthy is our number one priority.
If you test positive for Covid-19 or are asked to isolate and are not able to attend your class or pre-booked event, please contact the Bishopsgate Box Office for further information (enquiries@bishopsgate.org.uk). Please do not come to the Institute in person if you have symptoms or have tested positive.
Bishopsgate Institute has a thorough cleaning schedule in place and we clean the most populated areas more often. You will find hand-sanitising stations throughout the building as well as touch-free drinking fountains.
Find out more about how we’re keeping you safe.
Image: LAMAS Glass Slide Collection

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Need to Know
Metadata
- Time
- 12:00 - 14:00
- Price
- £20.00 / £15.00
- Day
- Sunday
- Duration
- 120
- Venue
- Bishopsgate Institute
- Tutor
- Dr Michelle Johansen
- Max Students
- 15
- No. of Sessions
- 1
- Course Code
- HS22211
You will learn
- Richly detailed contextual information from published and unpublished historical sources
- How Londoners experienced Sundays during a period when their activities on the Sabbath were monitored and controlled
- Unique human stories drawn from our special collections and archives.
Meet the Tutor

Dr Michelle Johansen
Dr Michelle Johansen is a social historian specialising in the history of modern London, with a particular emphasis on social class and mobility, gender, professional lives, and regional identities. Her publications include articles in Teaching History, the London Journal, and Cultural and Social History. Michelle has more than ten years' experience of delivering learning sessions at Bishopsgate Institute for all types of learners, from primary school pupils to undergraduates to informal adult learners. Her teaching approach places the emphasis on access to original historical documents, which provides a uniquely dynamic and immersive classroom experience.