Join award winning Historian Sarah Wise as she discusses her latest book, The Undesirables for another episode of the Tap Into Podcast.

The Undesirables

By 1950, an estimated 50,000 people had been deemed ‘defective’ by the British government and detained indefinitely under the 1913 Mental Deficiency Act. Their ‘crimes’ were various: women with children born out of wedlock; rebellious teenagers caught shoplifting; those with epilepsy, hearing impairments and chronic illnesses who had struggled in school; and many who were simply ‘different’.

Forcibly removed from their families and confined to a shadow world of specialist facilities in the countryside, they were hidden away and forgotten – out of sight, out of mind.

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The latest episode features Labour MP Jon Cruddas talking about his latest book, "A Century of Labour". The book looks at the changes, factions and guiding philosophies that have shaped the party and what it needs to do in the future to represent its core voters.

Recorded in front of a live audience in an old railway arch, there may be the odd rumble of a train passing overhead!

The book is currently available from the Newham Bookshop and other independent bookshops.

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January 31st 2024 and author, flaneur, youtube sensation and friend of the Tap John Rogers chatted to a sold out crowd about his life, his influences and to discuss just "What on Earth is psychogeography?'. A fascinating evening talking about our relationship with the built environment, bad jazz, the Situationists and why you should never shoot a hare amongst an awful lot of other things

John's books "This Other London" and "The New London" are available from newhambooks.co.uk

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In January 2023 Peter Apps discussed his latest book "Show Me the Bodies: How We Let Grenfell Happen" to a sold out Wanstead Tap. Interviewed by Peter Williams it was a night of heartbreak, frustration and shock...

On 14 June 2017, a 24-storey block of flats went up in flames.

The fire climbed up cladding as flammable as solid petrol. Fire doors failed to self-close. No alarm rang out to warn sleeping residents. As smoke seeped into their homes, all were told to ‘stay put’. Many did – and they died. It was a tragedy decades in the making.

Peter Apps exposed how a steady stream of deregulation, corporate greed and institutional indifference caused a tragedy. This is the story of a grieving community forsaken by our government, a community still waiting for justice.

Copies are available from newhambooks.co.uk who were co producers of this event.

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Join us as we revisit January 2021 when journalist and broadcaster Nick Wallis took to a sold out Wanstead Tap to talk about his new book, The Great Post Office Scandal. This talk was recorded just as preliminary talks were underway for what was to become the ITV drama "Mr. Bates vs. the Post Office, the incredible drama that has shaken the nation.

This event was co produced with the Newham Bookshop.

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