Event Details

A study afternoon with Dr Alan Crosby and Professor Geoff Timmins, two of the leading historians of North West England, discussing major trends and developments in local and regional history over the past half-century and examining prospects for the future.

Since the early 1970s the world of local and regional history has been transformed. Access to sources and resources has dramatically increased, technological change has revolutionised the way we research and present our material, and all sorts of new perspectives, themes and interpretations have emerged. More people than ever before are active in the field of local history and at the same time it has developed into a fully-fledged academic discipline with many practical applications in the heritage sector. Organisations such as the Centre for North West Regional Studies (predecessor organisation of the Regional Heritage Centre) have been instrumental in fostering, facilitating and encouraging these changes, and reinforcing a strong sense of regional historical identity. Alan and Geoff will be thinking about how our knowledge and understanding of the past has grown and become more nuanced. They will also consider the current state of historical research about the North West and speculate about how the subject’s key themes and perspectives may evolve in future. A representative of the new generation of our region’s historians will join the discussion to demonstrate the strength and vigour of historical research and writing across the region.

This event will be hybrid, with an in-person audience and also broadcast live on Microsoft Teams so that people can engage remotely if they prefer, but it will not be recorded.

1.15 p.m. Assemble Library Events Space

1.30 p.m. Introductory presentations by Dr Alan Crosby and Professor Geoff Timmins, plus discussion

2.40 – 3.10p.m. Tea/coffee & biscuits

3.10 p.m. Presentation by a representative of the next generation of local history researchers, plus discussion

4.00 – 4.10 p.m. Comfort break

4.15 p.m. Q&A session with all speakers

5.00 p.m. Close of Study Event

Fee for this event: In-person £20 (£18 for Friends and Patrons of the Centre), Online only £15 (£13.50 for Friends and Patrons)

Parking: On Saturdays free parking is available on campus.

Booking: please click on the 'Book Now' button above.

If you do have to cancel your booking, please give us five full working days’ notice and we will happily arrange a refund. Refunds can now only be made via electronic means. In order to issue a refund we need details of your account name, account number and sort-code. Payments made by card can be reimbursed via the same card details.