I have just spent some time reading through this entire debate and thought I'd add my twopennyworth.
I was very badly put off history at school by being taught a political, economic, social model - in my 3rd year I gained 5%. Yet I have always loved history and even as a child spent time reading historical novels.
My favourite topics in history continue to be so called populist history - Titanic, Jack the Ripper, Henry VIII's six wives etc. These are also listed by my students as some of their favourite topics along with the world wars, Nazi Germany and medieval warfare.
As a teacher of history it is my belief that the subject matter is largely unimportant so long as it inspires and enthuses pupils to further study of the subject. What is important is to enable pupils to become historians in their own right. to this end it is more important that they develop an understanding of how to:
Conduct research
Recognise bias
Be able to interpret and analyse sources
Be able to make links between present day events and happenings and those of the past
Be able to place events within a worldwide context
Develop thinking skills and to consider why things happened the way they did and when they did.
When developing schemes of work I know that I do include many of my own and colleagues' favourite topics, largely because pupils will be motivated by their teachers' obvious enthusiasm for the topic being studied.