News 2022

The Network’s combined AGM & Christmas Drinks event was held on Tuesday 6 December. This year we had Ipsos to thank for giving us space in Thomas More Square, just beyond St Katharine’s Dock in London.

English Heritage has marked with a blue plaque the original headquarters of Mass-Observation. The large detached house, on the edge of Blackheath village in SE London, was the home of Mass-Obs co-founder, Charles Madge (1912-1996)

The Network celebrated its 20th Anniversary in style with an Autumn Lunch at the Royal Air Force Club on Tuesday 11 October. It was thanks to the late John Downham that we were able to hold the event in this impressive and elegant building opposite Green Park.

The latest NED Talk (the last of the year) was given by Graham Mytton on 21 September under the title “From Saucepan to Dish to Smartphones: 53 Years in Media Research”. In this fascinating talk, Graham revealed that the ‘saucepan’ of the title was a nickname for an early design of radio widely used in Africa; the dish and smartphone, of course, more recent media tools.

The Research Network held it’s Summer Party on Tuesday 5 July at Doggetts Coat & Badge. The pub at the southern end of Blackfriars Bridge has a balcony overlooking the Thames, where members and their guests were able to enjoy the summer weather and views of the City.

Network member Debbie Whittick has been named by the MRS as one of its Research Heroes for 2022. The award recognises Debbie’s contribution to the industry and in particular to the MRBA.

Every year AMSR hosts a meeting for its supporters to tell them what it has been doing and about plans for the future. Adam Phillips reports on this year’s event, held on 26th May in the impressive eighth floor conference suite and roof terrace at Bush House on The Strand.

Nearly 40 members, plus a handful of guests, made it to the first in-person social event of the year when we returned to one of our most popular venues, the Turkish restaurant of Ev in Isabella Street on 26 April.

Our latest NED (Network Evening Drinks) Talk, the second of the year, took place on Wednesday 6th April. This stimulating event featured Professor Patrick Barwise and took the form of a discussion with Network member Sheila Byfield.

Network member Dr. Elizabeth Nelson has been appointed an Honorary Trustee of the Archive of Market and Social Research (AMSR). Liz is a Founder Patron of the Archive and was a trustee from 2016 to her retirement at the end of March 2022.

Research Live reports that the US National Archives have released nearly seven million records from the 1950 US Census. This is the most comprehensive American Census released to date.

The first NED Talk of 2022 took place on Wednesday 23rd February, when Neil McPhee discussed the influence of technology on music from the 1950s onwards, in a talk entitled ‘From the studio to your bedroom’.

AMSR recently launched the second book in its ‘Showcasing the Archive’ series, entitled ‘How We’ve Changed: Social Trends from Post-War to Present Day and Beyond’. The book, with a preface by Rory Sutherland, contains a series of essays based on material in the Archive about changes in British society since the 1950’s.