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When did you start your first job?

14 March 2024

How old were you when you started your first job? Fifteen? Eighteen? Twenty-one? Older? If you were working in a cotton mill in 1819 your answer would more likely be "about seven".

Child labour was widely accepted, but 1819 would be a pivotal year the year in which the first moves would be made towards removing children from the workforce.

Mad as a Hatter?

27 February 2024

The first reference to someone being "as mad as a hatter" was in use at least as early as 1827, when a report in the Belfast Commercial Chronicle of 18 June, when referring to Lord Norbury, comments: ...as the vulgar say "he is as mad as a hatter". But were hatters mad?

Hatters frequently displayed symptoms of mental fragility, but they were simply victims of the trade by which they earned their living.

Catholic FHS: A Legacy Preserved

24 January 2024

As 2023 drew to a close, one of the sadder notes was the closure of the Catholic Family History Society. Founded in 1983 the society's objective was to encourage those with Catholic ancestry to research their family history in England, Wales and Scotland. During its 40 year history, the society accumulated a substantial collection of research material. Read on to find out what has become of this valuable collection.

I Could Have Been a Judge...

06 January 2024

...but I didn't have the Latin for the judgin'.

So, I became a family historian, but is my lack of Latin still a problem? Well, yes and no. You can get a long way with a few key words and even further with a new online friend.

Find out how.

Who you gonna call?

26 August 2023

When a stranger dies,
In your neighbourhood,
Who you gonna call?

...no, not them ... try the council's Funeral Officer.

(With apologies to Ray Parker Jun.)

Greaves Street, Oldham

12 June 2023

Saturday, 10th June 2023, a beautiful summer’s day and I took the tram to Oldham, an earlier tram than usual (1) as I wanted to look around the town, see more than just the Oldham Central Metrolink Stop, and explore Oldham’s history – what better opportunity would I have than a day when the hot sun and clear skies brought every brick and stone building to colourful, vibrant life?

The Clarion Cafe

28 January 2023

It is between the wars and you are dining in a William Morris style dining room with oak panelled walls, stained glass panels, murals and stylish furniture? Perhaps you are a wealthy businessman who can afford to dine in style on company expenses? Perhaps it is a special occasion. No, you are an ordinary working man and dine there frequently. Welcome to the Clarion cafe.

New War Memorial Unveiled

22 October 2022

On Monday 17 October 2022, Warrant Officer Rodney Wallace of the Royal Australian Air Force unveiled a new war memorial in Walton Park, Sale to commemorate the crew of a Wellington Bomber, which crashed in the park in 1943. The memorial, a granite plinth, with a polished marble panel, was installed largely as the result of the efforts of George Cogswell, a local historian and a member of this society.

The air crew of the bomber were five members of the Royal Australian Air Force and one member of the Royal Air Force.