All enquiries to Mrs Melissa Wright mwright@boltonschool.org.uk 07912369060

All talks start at 6.30pm on the first Monday of the month (except Sept & Jan), and takes place in the Sutcliffe Suite, Bolton School Girls’ Division, Bolton School, Chorley New Road, Bolton BL1 4PA. Free parking is available in the Girls Division Quad (access from Chorley New Road).

Associate membership £20 per year. Talks free to national HA members and students, visitors £5.

Branch Website: https://boltonhistoricalassociation.wordpress.com

X = @BoltonHistory

BlueSky = @boltonhistory.bsky.social

Facebook =Bolton Historical Association

Bolton Programme 2025-26

 

Monday 8^th September

Barlow Family (Title TBC)

Ian Andrew Oswald Trumble - PhD candidate in the History of Egyptology and ancient Egyptian textile collections at the University of York.

Ian will explore the history of the Barlow Family and Annie Barlow’s contribution to the Egyptology Exploration Fund

 

Monday 6^th October

The Pit Brow Women of the Lancashire Coalfield

Alan Davies, Archivist & Local Historian to Wigan

Alan will delve into the history of female employment in coal mines to the famous pit brow women of the Wigan area collieries.

 

Monday 3^rd November

‘Sovereignty’ and Accountability in the Athenian Democracy: Who Controls Whom?

Dr Alberto Esu, University of Manchester, Classics and Ancient History

Alberto Esu is Lecturer in Classical Greek History at the University of Manchester. He works on the relationship between institutions and political ideas and discourse in Ancient Greece, with a particular focus on the Athenian democracy of the Classical period. He has published on Ancient Greek law and oratory, Spartan politics, and Aristotelian political thought. His monograph, Divided Power in Ancient Greece: Decision Making and Institutions in the Classical and Hellenistic Polis, was published in 2024 by Oxford University Press.

 

Monday 1^st December

Bolton School Girls’ Division has the pleasure of again hosting a regional round of the Great Debate.

The focus for the competition this year’s is: How important are personal and public records as evidence for explaining the story, or stories, of your local area?

This public speaking competition is open to students who will be in Years 10 and 13 in the academic year September 2024 to July 2025. Students must demonstrate research as well as historical arguments. For further information or to book your place, please contact Mr Criag Owen cowen@boltonschool.org.uk

 

Monday 12^th January

Parallel Histories: Teaching Conflict in an Age of Division

Reimagining history education through dual narratives, critical thinking, and civic dialogue.

Hugh Castle, Director of Parallel Histories

Formerly Head of History at Lancaster Royal Grammar School, Hugh helped incubate and develop the Parallel Histories approach to studying conflict, founded by dept colleague Michael Davies. After serving as Chair of Trustees, leading projects to pilot and expand the dual narrative method in schools, Hugh joined the charity

full-time in 2023 to further its mission of empowering young people to think critically. He oversees educational content and teacher training. Parallel Histories supports around 2,000 schools

 

Monday 2^nd February

Title and speaker TBC

 

Monday 6^th March

Title and speaker TBC