We are both historians who have run our own successful research and project management businesses and now choose to focus more specifically on historical consultancy due to a belief in the value of the subject and the sector. Quite simply we want to add quality work to that which we, and you, value.
We are also very privileged to work with some excellent professional Associates from across the heritage sector.
BRIEF RESUMES
Dr Craig French, MA MPhil PhD FSAScot
Director
I am a historian, once an(d future) archaeologist, research (PhD) professional, project manager (PRINCE2), and published author/writer, with extensive management experience in both the public and private sectors.
Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries Scotland, Member of the Scottish Genealogy Society, and the Association of Professional Genealogists.
Barry Phillips BA
Director
Former Civil Servant, speechwriter and policymaker. Former songwriter and performer. Historian by training and vocation.
Dr Mike Taylor, MA PhD FMA
Associate
Museums Specialist. First World War guru. Published author/writer.
Fellow of the Museums Association.
A little more of Dr Craig French…
Throughout my career, I have been fortunate to have worked on project development and communications for government and parliament, universities, private sector consultancies and charities. The focus of my work has consistently been on improvement and relationship-building – creating and developing opportunities for organisations and individuals to explore and expand in positive and sustainable ways. Crucially for me, the work I have undertaken has made a difference and directly influenced outcomes at a local, national and international level.
My background in history and research is long and deep. My youth was full of Indiana Jones and Time Team, Carl Sagan’s Cosmos and Michael Wood’s In Search of the Trojan War. It led me to study for a degree in history and archaeology at Glasgow University followed by two postgraduate degrees.
Whilst a student archaeologist, I was tasked with exploring the Flinders Petrie Egyptology collection in one of the subterranean storerooms of the museum. Old dusty boxes, ‘spider scrawl’ ledger descriptions – not a human hand had touched the contents for almost 100 years. Imagine my shock on finding the mummified head of a man – dead these 2500 years past. I could see his eyelashes over the closed eye…
As a qualified archaeologist, I also completed fieldwork – desktop research, geophysics, survey, excavation, and post-excavation – for GUARD (a professional archaeological unit based in the university) before moving on. I accepted a post in government with the newly created Department for International Development – it was an offer I could not refuse, working in the hub of the Department in a sector that was attempting to meet the (then) International Development Targets.
The passion and drive for history have always been at my core – I have subsequently worked with Museums Galleries Scotland, volunteered to help out with archaeological collections in the heritage sector, been published in historical journals, and travelled far and wide to explore historical and archaeological sites. A key example of my dedication to the subject was the recent publication of my book – based on a military formation during the First World War – by Helion and Company Ltd, which was a culmination of many years of research and analysis.
Craig is accustomed to dealing with high level players… has shown exceptional organisational abilities… he has been regularly called upon to undertake tasks beyond the normal remit.” IR, Department for International Development
A little more of Barry Phillips…
“I had come to Yugoslavia because I knew that the past had made the present and I wanted to see how the process works.” Rebecca West, Black Lamb and Grey Falcon
Like many today, my career path has been anything but orthodox; raised in a former coal-mining village, employed in bars, factories, police ID parades, on building sites, and for several years as a punk-rock musician/songwriter, before taking a degree in Historical Studies as a mature student. I was fortunate to study under an outstanding cadre of historians with specialisms which ranged from medical history to economic history, from authoritarianism to local history, and was awarded a First and the university’s annual prize for Essay Writing. Partially rehabilitated by this, I joined the Civil Service, ultimately working to the Secretary of State and Ministers as a Senior Policy Advisor and Speechwriter in the Department for Education. In more recent times I have worked around the world as an education researcher.
I found that the skills I had developed as a Historian, and lessons learned dealing with awkward ethical issues, served me well in my new careers. Similarly, my experiences in the Civil Service and beyond — particularly being able to communicate complex messages to diverse audiences and understanding the importance of integrity and confidentiality — have been invaluable as I have returned to History.
For the last four years, I pursued a long held dream to write, and have published, my first non-fiction book ‘In Search of Tito’s Punks.’ During the process, I travelled across ex-Yugoslavia to meet and interview musicians, journalists, fashion designers, authors, taxi drivers, photographers and others.
On a practical level, I have extensive ‘hands-on’ experience of diverse archival sources e.g. the Imperial War Museum (audio, documents, film, books), National Archive, various Scottish heritage resources, family genealogy, and military history databases. I am currently working with local historians and heritage groups in the north east of Scotland to track family and business genealogies throughout the area.
My other current project is a long-form article and podcast concerning the tragic fate of the de Kadts, a Jewish family in Nord Holland during WWII. This has involved immersing myself in archives previously unfamiliar, including Jewish databases and photographic collections, ‘shoe-leather’ investigations, handling sensitive information, and engaging with Holocaust histories and sources.
Wherever I have travelled with my work, a passion for History has been the cultural passport which helped build professional relationships and trust, and at times sparked lasting friendships.
I am pleased to recommend Barry as a Historical Consultant. We met in 1996 when he was working on his History dissertation on my father, Major Sam Wild , Commander of the British Battalion in the International Brigade in the Spanish Civil War. It was very well received and he pulled together much new material and was able to interview many veterans. His oral and archival skills are excellent and his reports are very readable. He was a valued colleague when we mounted the programme for the 75th Anniversary exhibition and associated events for the International Brigade Memorial Trust in South Yorkshire. His historical documentation on Facebook and his writings are of a high quality and he has a very engaging command of English. Michael Wild, MSc., BSc Hons Biol, Dip Ed, CBiol. Ret. Principal Lecturer Sheffield Hallam University
A little more of Dr Mike Taylor…
Mike has 40 years of experience in the museum sector at all levels and across a wide range of activities: natural history collections; collections management; collection research; exhibition origination; general management; policy development and implementation; and accreditation (applications, mentoring and assessment).
He also worked for six years at Museums Galleries Scotland managing Recognition Scheme for nationally-important collections.
He is a Fellow of the Museums Association.
Mike is also an accomplished military historian and was awarded a doctorate in 2017 for the study of an infantry brigade on the Western Front.
He is the author of many articles, short notes and the book, No Bad Soldiers: 119 Infantry Brigade and Brigadier Frank Percy Crozier in the Great War (Helion, 2022).
He is still passionate about the value of real things and the discovery of new topics to explore.
French Phillips Historical Consultancy 