Southport grew from practically nothing at the end of the 18th century to a substantial town of 50,000 people in just over a hundred years. It became a retreat for the wealthy merchants of Lancashire as well as a high class resort This friendly local history course tells the story of Southport and the local area from very early times to the 1960s, using rarely seen historic pictures, maps, censuses and old newspapers. We will look at how the town developed, and the lives of the extraordinary people who were connected with the town. In the first session we will look at Southport at about the time of the Battle of Waterloo as well as even further back in time; the second week will focus on the growing town in the nineteenth century, and in the third and final session, we will find out about the heyday of the seaside garden city and Southport’s connection to a national scandal of the 1960s. This is a relaxed easy to follow course with lots of discussion and little written content for complete beginners and those with some prior knowledge.
Delivered by Dr Tom Preston
Lecture dates:
16 May, 23 May & 30 May
