Martin Hurcombe
@fhmjh.bsky.social
Professor of French Studies, University of Bristol. Specialist in early twentieth-century French history, culture and politics with a particular interest in sports history and writing.
Really looking forward to a trip to Glasgow next month to celebrate the 80th anniversary of @auphf.bsky.social I'll be giving a keynote exploring French and Francophone Studies' origins and drawing possible lessons for our future. Register for free below:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/annual-eve...
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/annual-eve...
Annual Event of the AUPHF+ at the University of Glasgow Friday 19 June
The AUPHF+ marks its 80th year, bringing together students, teachers, researchers, leaders and almuni in French and Francophone Studies
www.eventbrite.co.uk
May 15, 2026 at 6:14 PM
Really looking forward to a trip to Glasgow next month to celebrate the 80th anniversary of @auphf.bsky.social I'll be giving a keynote exploring French and Francophone Studies' origins and drawing possible lessons for our future. Register for free below:
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/annual-eve...
www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/annual-eve...
Reposted by Martin Hurcombe
For National Bike Month, read an article by @ncardon.bsky.social , Matthew Brown , & @fhmjh.bsky.social ( @frenchatbristol.bsky.social ) in @journsporthist.bsky.social 51.1 about the sporting culture of the bicycle cc: @nassh1972.bsky.social
scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/jsh/arti...
scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/jsh/arti...
May 8, 2026 at 3:05 PM
For National Bike Month, read an article by @ncardon.bsky.social , Matthew Brown , & @fhmjh.bsky.social ( @frenchatbristol.bsky.social ) in @journsporthist.bsky.social 51.1 about the sporting culture of the bicycle cc: @nassh1972.bsky.social
scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/jsh/arti...
scholarlypublishingcollective.org/uip/jsh/arti...
I love hearing how people came to love learning languages and remember Eddie Izzard's 'Le singe est dans l'arbre' routine from when I first started teaching French. For me, it was aged 5, realising you got a bigger scoop of ice cream if you asked in Spanish.
www.theguardian.com/culture/2026...
www.theguardian.com/culture/2026...
My cultural awakening: an Eddie Izzard routine inspired me to learn French – and get a job with the EU
Being able to understand the comedian talking in French in his Dress to Kill show led to me learning several languages and working on the continent
www.theguardian.com
January 17, 2026 at 9:36 AM
I love hearing how people came to love learning languages and remember Eddie Izzard's 'Le singe est dans l'arbre' routine from when I first started teaching French. For me, it was aged 5, realising you got a bigger scoop of ice cream if you asked in Spanish.
www.theguardian.com/culture/2026...
www.theguardian.com/culture/2026...
Our third international outing for Project FIAS this year and an amazing few days in the Alps working with the team from CREPS AUVERGNE-RHÔNE-ALPES workshopping ideas for promoting gender inclusivity across a range of outdoor sports. Such great energy and enthusiasm. Thanks to all involved.
December 7, 2025 at 8:17 PM
Our third international outing for Project FIAS this year and an amazing few days in the Alps working with the team from CREPS AUVERGNE-RHÔNE-ALPES workshopping ideas for promoting gender inclusivity across a range of outdoor sports. Such great energy and enthusiasm. Thanks to all involved.
Nearly everything you need to know about why I was drawn to studying French is contained in this video.
youtu.be/KKhnDzRgsW8?...
youtu.be/KKhnDzRgsW8?...
GiscardPunk - late 70's and 1980's technosolutionist France (synthwave edit)
YouTube video by Templarius
youtu.be
November 15, 2025 at 3:08 PM
Nearly everything you need to know about why I was drawn to studying French is contained in this video.
youtu.be/KKhnDzRgsW8?...
youtu.be/KKhnDzRgsW8?...
Old school research day.
August 22, 2025 at 5:02 PM
Old school research day.
In between all the sports histoty, I have been researching a former professor of French at Bristol, Félix Boillot (veteran of WW1, member of the Free French). So it was great to share his story with colleagues researching the history of French Studies in the early 20th century earlier this week.
July 4, 2025 at 6:17 PM
In between all the sports histoty, I have been researching a former professor of French at Bristol, Félix Boillot (veteran of WW1, member of the Free French). So it was great to share his story with colleagues researching the history of French Studies in the early 20th century earlier this week.
Come and join us in Bristol on 27 June for this free event bringing perspectives on the future of French and Francophone Studies together from the secondary, further and HE sectors. www.tickettailor.com/events/unive...
Select tickets – Third Regional Forum on the Future of French and Francophone Studies at School and at University – University of Bristol, School of Modern Languages, Arts Complex, 7 Woodland Road
On 27 June 2025, the University of Bristol will host the third regional Forum on the future of French and Francophone Studies i...
www.tickettailor.com
May 16, 2025 at 3:17 PM
Come and join us in Bristol on 27 June for this free event bringing perspectives on the future of French and Francophone Studies together from the secondary, further and HE sectors. www.tickettailor.com/events/unive...
Reposted by Martin Hurcombe
🚨Job klaxon🚨 Opportunity for an oral historian interested in the history of swimming, water access and ‘blue spaces’ to work at Newcastle with the wonderful Elizabeth Turk on an interdisciplinary Wellcome project. Full details here jobs.ncl.ac.uk/job/Newcastl...
Research Assistant/Associate (History)
Research Assistant/Associate (History)
jobs.ncl.ac.uk
May 9, 2025 at 5:13 PM
🚨Job klaxon🚨 Opportunity for an oral historian interested in the history of swimming, water access and ‘blue spaces’ to work at Newcastle with the wonderful Elizabeth Turk on an interdisciplinary Wellcome project. Full details here jobs.ncl.ac.uk/job/Newcastl...
Reposted by Martin Hurcombe
Join our colleague Prof Bradley Stephens for "Victor Hugo: Astonishing Drawings" at the French Institute in London on the 12th of May
Details and tickets:
www.institut-francais.org.uk/events-agend...
Details and tickets:
www.institut-francais.org.uk/events-agend...
Victor Hugo: Astonishing Drawings - Institut Français · Royaume-Uni
Victor Hugo was one of France’s greatest writers and human rights advocates. In private, his refuge was drawing. Hugo’s ink and wash visions of imaginary castles, monsters and seascapes are as poetic ...
www.institut-francais.org.uk
May 6, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Join our colleague Prof Bradley Stephens for "Victor Hugo: Astonishing Drawings" at the French Institute in London on the 12th of May
Details and tickets:
www.institut-francais.org.uk/events-agend...
Details and tickets:
www.institut-francais.org.uk/events-agend...
Thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon in the University of Bristol's Special Collections researching Professor Félix Boillot, former Head of @frenchatbristol.bsky.social, First World War veteran and member of the Free French. More on him at our panel @frenchstudies.bsky.social on WW2.
March 19, 2025 at 5:25 PM
Thoroughly enjoyed my afternoon in the University of Bristol's Special Collections researching Professor Félix Boillot, former Head of @frenchatbristol.bsky.social, First World War veteran and member of the Free French. More on him at our panel @frenchstudies.bsky.social on WW2.
Come join this forthcoming webinar exploring the role of performing arts in preventing gambling harms in Uganda. Details below.
www.bristol.ac.uk/research/gro...
www.bristol.ac.uk/research/gro...
Webinar: The Role of Performing Arts in Educating the Youth Against Harmful Gambling in Uganda
www.bristol.ac.uk
March 12, 2025 at 5:46 PM
Come join this forthcoming webinar exploring the role of performing arts in preventing gambling harms in Uganda. Details below.
www.bristol.ac.uk/research/gro...
www.bristol.ac.uk/research/gro...
I've had the great privilege of working with my fantastic colleagues, Fiona Spotswood and Maria Moxey, on promoting women's participation in mountain biking in recent years. Here's a short film about some of our work. youtu.be/iCKvRL3r55c?...
Project FIAS (Fostering Inclusive Action Sports) | University of Bristol Business School Research
YouTube video by University of Bristol
youtu.be
March 10, 2025 at 10:35 AM
I've had the great privilege of working with my fantastic colleagues, Fiona Spotswood and Maria Moxey, on promoting women's participation in mountain biking in recent years. Here's a short film about some of our work. youtu.be/iCKvRL3r55c?...
Still navigating my way around the new Retronews site. Has anyone found a way to stop it from displaying every single individual page of a publication instead of individual issues? Am I missing something, or is it just not as good as it used to be?
February 18, 2025 at 11:27 AM
Still navigating my way around the new Retronews site. Has anyone found a way to stop it from displaying every single individual page of a publication instead of individual issues? Am I missing something, or is it just not as good as it used to be?
I'm really keen to hear from any Arts and Humanities scholars working on gambling, past or present, nationally, internationally, transnationally. Just to know what sort of research is going on out there.
February 12, 2025 at 9:31 AM
I'm really keen to hear from any Arts and Humanities scholars working on gambling, past or present, nationally, internationally, transnationally. Just to know what sort of research is going on out there.
Thanks to the Alliance Française, Bristol, for a great evening discussing women and the Resistance with local French students. (Yes, people still want to learn languages, Cardiff.) There's something really magical about being allowed in a book shop after closing time, too.
February 7, 2025 at 1:56 PM
Thanks to the Alliance Française, Bristol, for a great evening discussing women and the Resistance with local French students. (Yes, people still want to learn languages, Cardiff.) There's something really magical about being allowed in a book shop after closing time, too.
Call for Papers for this year's International Society for the History of Physical Education and Sport (ISHPES) Congress, which will take place from 22–25 July 2025 at UNEFS Bucharest. This is a hybrid event.
ishpes2025.unefs.ro
ishpes2025.unefs.ro
ISHPES 2025 – ISHPES Congress 2025 – Sports history in Bucharest
ishpes2025.unefs.ro
February 3, 2025 at 10:35 AM
Call for Papers for this year's International Society for the History of Physical Education and Sport (ISHPES) Congress, which will take place from 22–25 July 2025 at UNEFS Bucharest. This is a hybrid event.
ishpes2025.unefs.ro
ishpes2025.unefs.ro
Sign the Petition
Save MLANG at Cardiff University!
chng.it
January 30, 2025 at 8:32 PM
Finally uncovered the darkest of family secrets - my grandfather was fined for cycling through a stop sign. The shame of it.
January 26, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Finally uncovered the darkest of family secrets - my grandfather was fined for cycling through a stop sign. The shame of it.
I'll be giving a talk (in French) on women in the Resistance through a reading of Elsa Triolet's clandestinely published novella 'Les Amants d'Avignon', 6th February at Waterstones, Bristol. Free entry. All welcome. Details below.
afbristol.org.uk/events/femme...
afbristol.org.uk/events/femme...
Les femmes de la Résistance: une lecture des ‘Amants d’Avignon’ 06/02/25 | Alliance Française de Bristol
afbristol.org.uk
January 20, 2025 at 9:00 PM
I'll be giving a talk (in French) on women in the Resistance through a reading of Elsa Triolet's clandestinely published novella 'Les Amants d'Avignon', 6th February at Waterstones, Bristol. Free entry. All welcome. Details below.
afbristol.org.uk/events/femme...
afbristol.org.uk/events/femme...
Amazing time developing inclusive approaches to off-road cycling tourism with the Ministère de l'Economie, Luxembourg. And so great to be working working in such a vibrant, multilingual context. Kudos to European train travel too - only 6 hours from London.
January 16, 2025 at 6:29 PM
Amazing time developing inclusive approaches to off-road cycling tourism with the Ministère de l'Economie, Luxembourg. And so great to be working working in such a vibrant, multilingual context. Kudos to European train travel too - only 6 hours from London.
Really happy to have been asked to contribute a chapter to this excellent volume. Not on cycling (other sports are available) but marathon running in Paris in the Belle Epoque.
www.peterlang.com/document/134...
www.peterlang.com/document/134...
Peter Lang Verlag - Sport in Paris
This edited volume proposes to revisit the development of recreational and professional sporting activities in the French capital between 1854 and 2024....
www.peterlang.com
January 8, 2025 at 3:29 PM
Really happy to have been asked to contribute a chapter to this excellent volume. Not on cycling (other sports are available) but marathon running in Paris in the Belle Epoque.
www.peterlang.com/document/134...
www.peterlang.com/document/134...
CFP: Combat, Spectacle, Sport and War, Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds, 28-29 October 2025.
royalhistsoc.org/calendar/com...
royalhistsoc.org/calendar/com...
Combat, Spectacle, Sport and War – CALL FOR PAPERS | RHS
royalhistsoc.org
December 6, 2024 at 8:50 PM
CFP: Combat, Spectacle, Sport and War, Royal Armouries Museum, Leeds, 28-29 October 2025.
royalhistsoc.org/calendar/com...
royalhistsoc.org/calendar/com...
Bristol's statement bridge being particularly eye-catching this morning.
November 26, 2024 at 9:54 AM
Bristol's statement bridge being particularly eye-catching this morning.