In the Media

Melanie regularly contributes expert comments to press and media related to the history of property and the history of streets and areas across the United Kingdom, including Financial Times, The Telegraph, and The Daily Mail.

To discuss expert comments or contributions contact here. For media enquiries contact PastPreservers

The Telegraph
Comment: The history of the two-up two-down for ‘Why the two-up two-down is back in fashion’
8 September 2024

The Guardian
Comment: The history of indoor toiliets and bathrooms for ‘Feeling flush? Why buyers are going ‘bonkers for bathrooms”
7 September 2024

FT Weekend – House & Home
Comment: The history of high ceilings for ‘High fidelity’
27 July 2024

Country Homes & Interiors
Comment: ‘If walls could talk’
March 2024

The Guardian
Comment: ‘The Guardian view on digital-only archives: material items still matter to historians’
2 January 2024

The Telegraph
Comment: ‘Millions of wills dating back to 1800s could be destroyed in act of ‘deleting history”
18 December 2023

The Telegraph
Comment: ‘I discovered my holiday cottage was the site of a murder’
24 November 2023

Family Tree Magazine
‘Your Questions Answered’
November 2023

The National Archives
Part of the judging panel for the ’20sStreets’ local history competition
January – May 2023

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Guardian
‘On holiday with the ghosts of my Cornish ancestors’
30 December 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Telegraph
Comment: ‘When is Britain going to realise the housing crisis is about people, not buildings’ about Radio 4’s A Home of Our Own
6 October 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Family Tree Magazine online
Melanie Backe-Hansen on research and A House Through Time
27 August 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Sunday Times
‘Living (Room)History’
27 June 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The London Library Magazine
‘Meet A Member’
April 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best of British
‘A House Through Time’
January 2021

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daily Express
‘TV House Detectives can turn you into Sherlock Homes’
10 July 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Parade Magazine
‘Catherine the Great Has Arrived: Here are 9 More History-Making Young Women We’d Like to See On-Screen’
15 May 2020

History Hack – podcast
‘House Histories’
To coincide with the release of her new book, Melanie joins us to discuss what it is like to be a house historian.
15 May 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lead your Day with Merilyn – podcast
‘Ghosts, Queens & Mi5 – with author and historian Mel Backe-Hansen’
31 March 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Times
‘How to sell history’
13 March 2020

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Talking Tudors with Natalie Grueninger – podcast
Episode 59: Talking Tudors with Melanie Backe-Hansen
19 December 2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kent Life
‘Our House’
September 2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hidden Histories with Helen Carr – podcast
‘The Hidden History behind the House: with Mel Backe-Hansen’
6 August 2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Foxtons Estate Agents property blog
‘The House Historian finding extraordinary stories behind every front door’
7 August 2019

My Weekly
‘Melanie’s a House Historian’
19-26 March 2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Telegraph
Unearth secrets hidden in a time capsule
9 March 2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BBC Radio Somerset
Speaking about the historic link between Alexander Graham Bell and a house in Bath
22 February 2019

The Telegraph
‘Could your house be a secret goldmine? How to unearth its hidden history’
16 February 2019

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Daily Mail Online
‘Ever spotted the unusual row of period townhouses along the A4?’
[the history of the artist studios on Talgarth Road]
24 August 2018

Press Association
‘How a historian’s chance discovery shed light on an unusual Victorian hobby’
10 August 2018

The Times
‘Solid Victorian Values’
25 August 2017

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Ideal Home
‘Why Conservatories are no longer hot property’
25 August 2017

Scottish Construction Now
‘And finally… Only one in five Scots living in their dream home’
24 August 2017

BBC Radio 4: ‘You & Yours’ consumer affairs programme
The history of houses in context of new research regarding our dream home from Halifax Insurance
(I appear at 29:50)
23 August 2017

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The Guardian
‘Going underground: number of Britons digging basements soars’
23 August 2017

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Moneywise.co.uk
‘Basements gain ground as Brits strive to achieve their dream home’
23 August 2017

BBC London News
Speaking about the history of 1930s houses
16 August 2017

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Wall Street Journal
‘In London, Some Mansions Aren’t Mansions’ [subscription required]
(comments on the history of mansion blocks)
1 June 2017

Glam UK 
‘Discovering London with House Historian Melanie Backe-Hansen’
June 2017

The Times
‘How to write the history of your house’
31 March 2017

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The Sun Newspaper
‘Does your home have a secret which could add to its value’
28 February 2017

The London Magazine
‘Light Source: Let in the light with double-height windows’
February 2017

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The Times
‘Unravel the history of your home’
21 October 2016

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The Daily Telegraph

‘Unearthing the garden suburb’s past’
17 September 2016

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Chiswick Herald
‘Chiswick residents launch unique history project’
14 September 2016

Chiswickw4.com
‘House History project launched to help locals connect with the past’
13 September 2016

The Chiswick Calendar
‘Discover the history of your house’
13 August 2016

The Chiswick Calendar
Know the stories of the people who lived in your house before you?
29 August 2016

Centre for Community Journalism
‘Hyperlocal collaboration aims to collect ‘house histories’ from community’
30 August 2016

Chiswickw4.com
‘Local group to work with house historian to uncover secrets of garden suburb’
23 July 2016

Bedford Park Residents Association
‘BPRA launch house history initiative’
July 2016

Henry & James
‘We’re going underground: hidden London beneath our feet’
18 April 2016

The London Magazine
‘Making an entrance: Homes with hallways’
March 2016

The Sunday Telegraph
‘Calling all bakers and artists: Make room for your hobbies in your home’
3 January 2016

The London Magazine
‘Iconic Streets: St James’s’
December 2015

The London Magazine
‘A Country Home in the City’
November 2015

The Times
‘Grand but not gloomy. Hail the gothic revival’
2 October 2015

BBC News
‘London-centric’
30 September 2015

The Times
‘The Secret Lives of houses: Uncover your home’s secret history’
7 August 2015

The London Magazine
‘Iconic Streets: Portobello Road’
August 2015

The London Magazine
‘Iconic Streets: Wimbledon Village’
June 2015

The London Magazine
‘Iconic Streets: Great Peter Street’
May 2015

The London Magazine
‘Iconic Streets: Fulham Road’
April 2015

Homes and History
Interview: ‘Melanie Backe-Hansen – A Passion for History’
22 February 2015

The Wall Street Journal
‘For Sale: Olde English Tudor Houses’
4 February 2015

The Telegraph
‘The writers’ block where Bond was born’
29 November 2014

The London Magazine
‘Iconic Streets: Cheyne Walk’
November 2014

The Sunday Times
‘The great indoors’
5 October 2014

The Times
‘The secret history of my family home’
26 September 2014

The Metro Scotland
‘Move to the Colonies’
6 August 2014

The Independent
‘BBC’s The Secret History of Our Streets reveals a fascinating window into Britain’s past’
24 July 2014

Daily Mail
‘Dress for success: Find space for a dedicated dressing room and live happily ever after’
30 May 2014

PutneySW15
‘Do you know the history of your home?’
14 May 2014

The Times
‘The nation’s passion for a (not so) humble semi’
9 May 2014

The History Vault
‘Five minutes with Melanie Backe-Hansen’
16 April 2014

The History Vault
Book review for ‘Historic Streets and Squares’
30 March 2014

Family Tree
Book review for ‘Historic Streets and Squares’
January 2014