Sue Hughes (BA Medieval and Modern History, 1977)

I had a wonderful three years at Birmingham in the 1970s: my course in medieval and modern history was innovative and exciting but I had no idea when I started that it would lead to a new career path. I was already a qualified teacher of English and expected to go back to teaching in schools after graduating but a chat with my personal tutor, Rodney Hilton, and a move to Yorkshire led me to an SSRC PhD scholarship in the Economic History Department at Leeds University. My chosen topic Trades Unionism in the Woollen and Worsted Industries was inspired by Richard Shackleton’s Special Subject, The British Labour Movement Between the Wars.

Fortunately for me the department at Leeds allowed post grad students to teach for three hours a week, launching me into a career in university teaching. Although I completed the research, I never finished writing up my thesis due to pressure of work. After completing my three years research like many post grads in university teaching I juggled three part time jobs for several years. In my case I taught Economic History at Leeds University and Economics at the old Leeds Polytechnic, and was a tutor counsellor on the Open University Arts Foundation Course, before finally getting a permanent post at what is now Leeds Trinity University.

All my Birmingham studies were instrumental in helping me develop the courses I have taught over the years, but they also provided the background knowledge for my book, A Family Journey Through Time, which was published by Cambridge Scholars in April 2026. I had no idea when I undertook Adrian Randall’s course Society 1760-1866 that I was studying the experiences of my own ancestors.

I was the first person in my family to go into Higher Education and University teaching was beyond my wildest dreams, but my time at Birmingham was to launch me into a whole new trajectory.