With a proud history of industry and creativity, Manchester is one of the world’s greatest cities. In 2015 it was designated ‘The Northern Powerhouse’ but, of course, being the home of the Industrial Revolution, it always was. Manchester gave the world technological innovation as well as manufacturing strength. By the second half of the nineteenth century Manchester was home to more than 100 mills and well over 1,000 warehouses. It was in Manchester that Whitworth devised a standard for sc...

This illustrated history portrays one of England’s finest cities. It provides a nostalgic look at Manchester’s past and highlights the special character of some of its most important historic sites. The photographs are taken from the Historic England Archive, a unique collection of over 12 million photographs, drawings, plans and documents covering England’s archaeology, architecture, social and local history. Pictures date from the earliest days of photography to the present and cover sub...

Like many cities in the UK, Manchester has changed dramatically over the years and continues to do so. The ‘Second City of Empire’ was a powerhouse of the Industrial Revolution, especially in textile manufacture, and for a time was the most productive centre of cotton processing in the world. The boom ended as dramatically as it had begun, with the death of the textile industry and waning of the city’s role as a major inland port, and the post-war decades were marked by industrial decline,...

Opened on 17 July 1761, the canal has a special place in history as the first to be built in Britain without following an existing watercourse, and so became a model for those that followed. Affectionately known as the ‘Duke’s Cut’, the Bridgewater Canal revolutionised transport in this country and marked the beginning of the golden canal age, which lasted from 1760 to 1830. However, as the rail network surpassed the canals as a method of transporting goods, the canal fell into disuse and ...

Widnes is a town with a long industrial heritage. In 1847 the first chemical factory was established and the town rapidly became a major centre of the chemical industry. The town grew quickly as housing and social provisions were made for the factory workers. Soon the villages of Farnworth, Appleton, Ditton and Upton were absorbed within the developing town of Widnes. Other industries developed too, including iron and copper works. In the 1920s and 1930s there was further diversification o...

Widnes History Tour is a unique insight into the fascinating history of this industrial town and shows just how much it has changed during the course of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Readers are invited to follow local authors and historians Jean and John Bradburn as they guide them through its streets and alleyways, pointing out the well-known and lesser-known landmarks along the way.

Prosperity first came to Runcorn with the building of the Manchester Ship Canal, which was completed in 1776 - the start of Runcorn as an industrial town. Heavy industry, such as soap and alkali works, soon moved in, as did major transportation links, including the Bridgewater Canal. As people flocked to the town for work in its chemical works, the character of the place changed as it grew to accommodate the overspill from Liverpool. Sprawling housing estates were built, including the infa...

Stories of the border marches presents a rich collection of English Scottish border folklore and historical tales that weave together myth, legend, and real-life events from the borderlands. The book explores themes of bravery, intrigue, and the supernatural, highlighting the cultural and moral lessons embedded in these ancient stories. Through vivid border lore and supernatural fiction, it portrays ghostly figures, daring outlaws, and heroic exploits across castles, battlefields, and remo...

"Stories of the Border Marches" is a collection of short stories written by Jean Lang and John Lang. Jean Lang, also known as Mrs. Andrew Lang, collaborated with her husband John Lang on various literary projects. The Langs were known for their work in folklore, mythology, and children's literature during the late 19th and early 20th centuries."Stories of the Border Marches" likely contains tales inspired by the border regions of the British Isles, an area with a rich history and folklore....

A new edition of John Berger and Jean Mohr's classic investigation into the nature of photography and what makes it so different from other art forms'One of the world's most influential art critics … Berger sees clearly with fresh surprise yet profound understanding' Washington TimesIn one of the most eloquent accounts of photography ever devised, the writer John Berger and the photographer Jean Mohr set out to understand the funda...

“I told God that if he would let us survive this night, I would make it mean something worthwhile. And then, somehow, I felt calmer than I have ever felt. Unreasonably so. Irrationally so. I looked over the scene of our wrecked life and I smiled–a crazy smile for sure–and I looked through the dark at the mad beauty of it.”–Jean SilverwoodAn exhilarating true-life adventure of one family’s extraordinary sea voyage of self-discovery and survival, trag...

There is a constant drumbeat of commentary claiming that STEM subjects—science, technology, engineering, and math—are far more valuable in today’s economy than traditional liberal arts courses such as philosophy or history. Many even claim that the liberal arts are "under siege" by neoliberal politicians and cost-conscious university administrators. In a forceful response, The Problem with Rules establishes the essential value of the liberal arts as the pedagogical pathway to critical thin...