Royton Local History Society

October 10th 2011   Freda Millett

SCATTERED HOMES

Local historian Freda Millett is visiting us tonight to talk about her latest book ‘Scattered Homes’ which tells the story of these homes which existed in Oldham and other towns before the Children’s Act of 1947. This Act changed, for the better, the welfare of children, especially those without parents.

November 14th 2011   Ray Hoerty

KINGS, QUEENS, BONES and BASTARDS

Royalty is very much in the news nowadays and Ray will provide an entertaining look at Royalty throughout the ages. Be prepared for many fascinating, but also some very shocking, stories about past Royals.

December 12th 2011   Anne Ashton

MEDICAL MAGIC and MYSTERY

What did we do before modern medicines were invented? How were illnesses treated and wounds healed? Anne will take us back to those dark days when herbs, potions and even witches spells were used to try and cure our ancestor’s ills. She may even have an old cure for indigestion, which may be needed as the evening will be rounded off with our usual festive refreshments!

January 9th 2012   Michael Higgins

WATERLOO to PETERLOO

It is August 1819, four years after the Battle of Waterloo and the Napoleonic Wars, and unemployed soldiers, weavers and artisans are planning a protest meeting in Manchester. The burning issues are rising food prices, depression in the cottage handloom weaving trade and voting reform. But why are they undergoing secret military drilling on Tandle Hill and using the language of the French Revolution? How will the Manchester authorities, without a police force and only a handful of local yeomanry cavalry and volunteer constables to call on, keep order if thirty to sixty thousand protesters march into town? The only recourse is to call in the army, many of whom are also Waterloo veterans. Will they be able to prevent the looting, rioting and injury that such a large meeting on St Peter's Field promises? The answer is 'the Peterloo Massacre' - an iconic event in local and national history.

February 13th 2012   John Cleary

PROUD TO BE A ROYTONIAN

Following on from his highly entertaining talk about his ‘Boyhood Memories’, local author John Cleary returns this evening with more stories about his experiences working in Royton and beyond.

March 12th 2012   Roger Ivens

COAL MINING in ROYTON

Did you know that Royton Park, opened on 22nd June 1911, was built on the site of the former Royton Colliery which closed in 1901? Roger Ivens, the archivist at Oldham Local Studies Centre, takes a look at the history of coal mining in Royton with reference to the surrounding districts, in order to provide a picture of an industry that on the surface has almost completely disappeared.

April 16th 2012   Michael Clarke

IT IS NOT POLITICALLY CORRECT

Michael is finding that 72 years of learning and accepting the British way of life are being buried under the ‘Jobs Worth’ politically correct brigade. Should he be offended if someone asks for a ‘gingerbread man’ in a confectioner’s shop, just because he once had red hair?
Michael’s talk will take us through the hazards of natural thought in the interests of freedom of speech, and aims a salvo at those who are surreptitiously bent on destroying the British way of life.

May 14th 2012   Margaret Curry

TALES of TWO CITIES

One of our favourite speakers, Margaret Curry, makes a welcome return to us this evening with her talk ‘Tales of Two Cities’. This talk covers two thousand years of history in central Salford and Salford Quays, Roman and early medieval Manchester.
A lot to cover in an hour but I’m sure it will be both interesting and informative as Margaret’s talks always are.

June 11th 2012   Robert Bishop

LOCAL PLANTS and WILD FLOWERS

Being a local history society we tend to concentrate on the man-made structures in our town but unfortunately many of the old buildings no longer exist and we now have to rely on photographs and people’s memories.
However, one aspect of Royton that has remained constant over the years is it’s flora and fauna, in so much as the plants alive in our fields and hedgerows today are pretty much the same as those plants of 2, 3 or 500 years ago.
Tonight Robert’s presentation will identify these plants and flowers - talking about their structure and their uses both today and in the past.