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Regional Heritage Centre Newsletter, December 2023
In this edition:
- Book now for the RHC's first events of 2024
- December's Local History Fair proves a fitting way to finish the RHC's 50th anniversary year - together with all our supporters
- A report from November's illuminating Lancaster Castle event on the Great Cowcher Book of the Duchy of Lancaster
- One final blast from the past - RHC Director Professor Fiona Edmonds looks back on her time at the Centre
- A new book about Kirkby Lonsdale + books from our back catalogue - great holiday gifts for history lovers
The RHC's First Events of 2024 Open for Booking
This year has been an exceptionally busy one for the Regional Heritage Centre, but before we all relax into holiday party mode, there's still one important piece of work to do: we just had to let you know that our first events of 2024 are already open for booking!
On Saturday 10 February, 2024 Dr Alan Crosby (British Association for Local History) will be treating us to a full Study Day on Medieval Towns and Town Life in North West England.
Alan is revisiting a theme from one of his early Study Days in order to make use of new research, shedding new light on the history of some of our familiar local towns. Alan's events are always popular, but as this one is being held fully live with no online element, you're going to have to book early to secure your place.
We'll be in our usual venue, the university Library's events space (rear of ground floor) and of course we will not only provide a warm welcome - we'll be offering warming refreshment breaks too. Don't miss it - get your tickets now.
Then on Saturday 2 March, it's time for our Annual Archaeology Forum. The 2024 edition is the 51st in an unbroken series - and as always we've got a full day of speakers addressing important developments in archaeology and related technology over the past year. We'll be looking at recent Roman finds in Carlisle, investigations of the medieval Lowther Castle and village, the workings of the Portable Antiquities Scheme's database with Finds Liaison Officer Dr Pauline Clarke and much more. The Forum is a great place to hear about current work and meet like-minded archaeology enthusiasts and once again we will have Dr Eleri Cousins (Lancaster University) moderating our lively Q&A session with all speakers at the end of the day. This event will feature live presentations for an in-person audience at our events space in Lancaster University's library, but will also be live-streamed for those unable to join us in person.
Once again we are grateful to the Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies for their support and to show our appreciation, we offer discounted tickets not only to our current Friends and Patrons, but also to Roman Society members. All in all, it's an event not to be missed - so secure your places for the 2024 Archaeology Forum now.
December's Local History Fair Ends the Year on a High Note
As the RHC's 50th anniversary year draws to a close, we certainly ended our programme of events on a high note, with our very first - and very successful - Local History Fair. Fifteen local history and heritage organisations from all over the area joined us at the Friends Meeting House in Lancaster to meet the public, talk about valuable community work and projects and enjoy a series of free talks from RHC Co-Director Dr Chris Donaldson, Dr Jean Turnbull (Lancaster University) and the Victoria County History of Cumbria project's Dr Sarah Rose.
Throughout the day, the hall was busy with visitors buying books, chatting with stallholders, perusing the exhibition banners on display and networking. The hot drinks, soup and cake available to purchase proved very popular as people took time to catch up with old friends and make some new ones. The buzz of conversation at times threatened to overpower our speakers, but luckily a portable voice amplifier averted that danger. And that wasn't the only hi-tech highlight...
RHC Co-Director Dr Chris Donaldson and Claire Bradshaw of the Morecambe Bay Partnership at the RHC Local History Fair
Our own Chris Donaldson was bowled over by the virtual reality experience on offer at the Morecambe Bay Partnership's stand. He was only one of many to take advantage of a 'tour' of the WWII-era dock defences of Barrow's Walney Island.
It was a fabulous day and a great way to say thank you to all of you who support our work, year in and year out. More than one member of the public asked if this is to become a recurring event and we certainly hope so! We'll keep you posted - promise.
An Illuminating Study Event Linked with November's Light Up Lancaster
Meanwhile, November's Study Event at Lancaster Castle was an even more spectacular success. Linked to the amazing sound and light display at Lancaster Castle created by acclaimed artists Illuminos for the Light Up Lancaster Festival, the November 18 event Manuscripts and Medieval Life: the Great Cowcher Book of the Duchy of Lancaster brought together researchers from both Lancaster and Lincoln University to discuss current work being done on this important medieval text. Beautiful illustrations from the manuscript were projected onto three walls of the Castle's courtyard earlier in November, and if you were lucky enough to be there, you'll know why audience members described the display as 'exhilarating', 'amazing' and 'spine-tingling'.
The group of 40 RHC supporters who gathered in the Lancaster Suite, the university's learning space at the Castle, were treated to fascinating presentations delving deeper into the background of the book which has been called second in importance only to Doomsday.
Lancaster Castle during Light Up Lancaster
The Great Cowcher Book of the Duchy of Lancaster was commissioned by Henry IV c. 1402 and contains important early records of places in Lancashire and beyond in addition to many magnificent illustrations.
RHC Director Professor Fiona Edmonds has been involved in a wider research project to explore the Cowcher Book together with colleague Dr Sophie Thérèse Ambler (History Department, Lancaster University) Dr Paul Dryburgh (National Archives) and colleagues at Lincoln University. But to create the soundtrack for the stunning Light Up Lancaster display, she had to look a little closer to home, making use of husband Johnny's language skills to read excerpts from the Cowcher Book (Well he did win the 2001 Oxford University Latin Declamation Prize for his reading of Virgil, so surely fame was inevitable!). A video of the display will shortly become available, and you can read more about the research here.
And why not also check out our free online course (also called a MOOC), which was developed in connection with the Duchy. So far, over 10,000 people from all over the world have!
50 years of the RHC and its predecessor organisation CNWRS
As our 2023 season of Study Events draws to a close, the RHC can be proud to have celebrated a truly impressive milestone: 50 years since the foundation of our predecessor organisation, the Centre for North West Regional Studies, in 1973. In time, the CNWRS evolved into the RHC - but some things never change: like our commitment to the history and heritage of the North West. We've been using this opportunity to look back at past highlights and look forward to the future, with some new staff members coming on board and the RHC's new Facebook page bringing us fully into the 21st century. But we hope you'll agree, the RHC is not (only) getting older - we're getting better.
We've been featuring a 'blast from the past' in each of our monthly newsletters for the full year of 2023, so we just had to end with a valedictory message from our very own Professor Fiona Edmonds. In this final installment, Fiona looks back over her seven-year tenure as Director of the Centre.
As 2023 draws to a close, I am preparing to hand over the directorship of the Regional Heritage Centre to my colleague Dr Chris Donaldson. This is a good opportunity to reflect on the Centre's activities and achievements in recent years.
I joined Lancaster University in 2016 and I was delighted to have the opportunity to become Director of the Centre. I was born and brought up in Lancashire, with wider connections across northern England, and I have always been passionate about the region's heritage. Indeed, I first came across the Centre for North-West Regional Studies by perusing its publications as a teenager. A particular favourite was A History of Linen in the Northwest (1998). I was also well aware of the work of my predecessor, Professor Angus Winchester. Those were big shoes to fill, but it was exciting to continue his work in bringing together CNWRS and the Victoria County History (VCH) of Cumbria within the Regional Heritage Centre.
There are too many highlights to mention! My time as Director has been bookended by two innovative projects at Lancaster Castle, on which we were delighted to work with the Duchy of Lancaster: the Massive Open Online Course 'Lancaster Castle and Northern English History', and the Great Cowcher display at this year's Light Up Lancaster (see the report in this newsletter). It has also been exciting to see the VCH Cumbria project flourish in partnership with Cumbria County History Trust, our talented volunteers and Research Associate Dr Sarah Rose. I was very pleased to witness the publication of Cumbria's first VCH 'Short' (Richard Brockington's Kirkoswald and Renwick) and I look forward to the milestone first 'Red Book' for Lonsdale Ward, based on the work of Emmeline Garnett with contributions from others. My highlight of the Centre's fiftieth anniversary year was our Educate North Award for Community Engagement.
It has been a privilege to work with Sam Riches and Ann Marie Michel over the years, and now also Oliver Wilkinson, who is covering Sam's role this year. We are also very fortunate to have an extensive network of supporters: Patrons, Friends, those who attend our events, members of our Advisory Board and Steering Group, and the organisations that work with us in various ways. The Centre is also proud to host transcripts of Elizabeth Roberts' Working Class Oral History Archive, other archival resources, and an enduringly popular programme of Study Days.
I am confident that Chris Donaldson will bring a wide range of expertise and ideas to the activities of the Centre. I will continue to support him for the rest of this academic year. I will then be moving on to other roles in the department, but I will remain a Regional Centre Associate, and you will no doubt hear more from me at future Study Days!
Thanks Fiona. It's nice to know your involvement will continue - and of course, you leave the RHC in very capable hands.
Books For Regional History Lovers
A new publication has been brought to our attention by our friends at the Kirkby Lonsdale & District Civic Society. A Kirkby Lonsdale Miscellany – Fifty things you might not know about Kirkby Lonsdale is a collection of stories and curious facts all about people and places in the town and villages nearby. Meet personalities from past and present, read about crashes on Devil's Bridge, fires and destruction, tales of heroism in war and peace, as well as the odd debacle!
Illustrated in full colour, the book is available for £6.99 from the Information and Gift Shop in Kirkby Lonsdale. And £1 from each sale goes towards the “Save Ruskin's View” appeal!
Front cover of A Kirkby Lonsdale Miscellany, supplied by publisher
In this anniversary year, we've also been regularly featuring books from the RHC stockroom, just in case you might have missed one or two along the way. Our publications make great gifts for the regional history lover, and help support the Centre's valuable work too.
But if there's anyone on your naughty list, why not consider the late great Emmeline Garnett's work on Juvenile Offenders in Victorian Lancashire? It tells the story of the Bleasdale Reformatory from its opening in 1857 to its closure in 1905 - and is still completely relevant to the concerns of the 21st century.
Front cover of the publication Juvenile Offenders in Victorian Lancashire
Why not see what else you can (re)discover in our back catalogue? You'll find many fascinating books on our Online Store's publications page - and there are some great bargain prices too.
External Events and Announcements
All external events are listed on our website. The RHC cannot provide further information on these events and announcements, nor be held responsible for any inaccuracies in what is posted. If you have queries or wish to book for any event listed here please contact the organiser/venue/promoter directly.
We hope this newsletter gives important information on heritage activities and organisations locally. With the festive season upon us, there's not much left to do but to thank you all for joining in our 50th anniversary year celebrations. You made it so memorable and above all, so meaningful.
2024 will see RHC Co-Director Dr Chris Donaldson taking on a more active role, as he steers a course for the RHC's future. We've loved every minute of this extraordinarily busy year, but rest assured, we're busy planning even more for the new season. We wish you all the best for the holidays and of course for a wonderful new year.
Ann-Marie
Ann-Marie Michel
Administrator
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