Programme 2019 - 2020

Monday 16^th September 2019

Crystal Skulls and Human Heads ( Mark Olly)

Saturday 19^th October 2019 (10.00am – 4.00pm)

60^th Birthday Celebrations

Monday 21^st October 2019

Our Past, Present and Future (Members of the Society and Steve Lingard)

Monday 18^th November 2019

Spanish Flu and the Liverpool Press (Chris Jones)

Monday 16^th December 2019

Pre-Christmas Gathering 6.30pm for 7.00pm

Monday 20^th January 2020

The Runcorn Locks Project (Graham Wallace)

Monday 17^th February 2020

Digs and Discoveries (Robert Skinner)

Monday 2^nd March 2020

Annual Dinner (6.30pm for 7.00pm)

Saturday 14^th March 2020 (11.00am Liverpool)

Poo, Wee and Ticks and Fleas – A Health Walk (Chris Jones)

Monday 16^th March 2020

The Chemical Industry in the North West ( Diana Leitch)

Monday 20^th April 2020

Florence Nightingale (James Crossland)

Monday 18^th May 2020

AGM at 7.00pm followed by:

The Battle of Warsaw 1920 (Charles Esdaille)

More About Us

Our Society was founded in 1959 largely through a group of local residents who attended a series of lectures given by Dr John .R. Harris entitled 'The History of St Helens', in the 1958 - 59 session of Extra - Mural Studies of the University of Liverpool. These were based on the landmark history of the area, "A Merseyside Town in the Industrial Revolution: St Helens 1750 - 1900" which John Harris had written with Theo Barker, his life-long ex-Cowley friend.

The founders' decision that the Society would have greater appeal if it were not confined to the study of local history but covered any matter of historical interest has remained the Society's policy. It was on 19th October 1959 that we first met, when in the Assembly Room of Cowley Girl's School, Professor CNL Brooke spoke on "The Code of Chivalry".

Since then the Society's guest lecturers have covered many topics, including Liverpool's Old Dock, Gems of Norman Architecture, the History of Surgery, Chester's Mystery Plays, Egyptian Mummies and major anniversaries such as Trafalgar, The Rainhill Trials and Elizabeth I's Accession. Local history has featured from St Helens's lost stations to Sidac, fossils at Ravenhead, archaeology at Newton and the 1906 parliamentary election.

In addition, we have run full day events. A "Celebration of History" marked our 40th Birthday in 1999 and on 17th October 2009 we celebrated our 50th with a day school, "Trade, Transport and Town". In 2000 and again in 2016, this time at the World of Glass, we hosted an "At Home" for the Lancashire Local History Federation. On several occasions the Society has organised a local history exhibition at the Friends Meeting House on behalf of St Helens Heritage Network.

Social activities such as the pre-Christmas Gathering in December and the Society's Annual Dinner in March have established themselves in the programme as well as outings and visits.