“ASTOUNDING Inventions” is the theme for Tameside History Month which takes place throughout September - two programmes have been arranged

“ASTOUNDING Inventions” is the theme for Tameside History Month which takes place throughout September.

Two programmes of events have been arranged – all starting at 2pm – one running at the local studies and archives centre on Cotton Street, Ashton, and a second at Stalybridge Library, Trinity Street, to tie in with Town of Culture celebrations.

The series begins on Tuesday, September 6, when Stalybridge Library hosts a “Making Friends with the Archives” session looking at what the council’s collections can tell us about Stalybridge and its history.

On Tuesday, September 13, there is a talk about Robert Reschid Stanley, a Victorian mayor of Stalybridge who converted to Islam, and on Tuesday, September 20, the subject is dialect poet Samuel Laycock.

Laycock’s most famous work – “Bowton’s Yard” – which describes the residents of a tight-knit Stalybridge community in the mid-1860s, became the basis for “Coronation Street” 100 years later.

Events at the local studies and archives centre begin on Wednesday, September 7, with a Tameside History Club session about Ashton Union Workhouse. The following week (September 14) the topic is “Benjamin Goodfellow, Mechanic and Manufacturer” and then on Wednesday, September 21, it’s “Local Inventors and Inventions”.

Tameside History Month closes on Thursday, September 22 with a drop-in coffee morning at the local studies centre (11am to 2pm) featuring a quiz and crafts to raise funds for Tameside Hospital’s sensory garden.

September 9 to 18 is National Heritage Week when many buildings in the borough will be hosting open days, sometimes offering rare, behind-the-scenes views.

Cllr Sangita Patel, Tameside Council’s assistant executive member for culture, heritage and digital inclusivity, said: “Tameside History Month not only focuses on the borough’s rich and varied history but also its place as the cradle of the Industrial Revolution when Britain led the world with its inventions.

“The talks, which run throughout September, provide a unique window into the borough’s past, and I’m sure they will prove very popular.”

All the events are free but places must be booked in advance. For more information call 0161 342 4242 or visit www.tameside.gov.uk/archives.

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