Local Community and History Month 2024: Students’ local history stories
Which historical place or person from your local area deserves greater recognition?
One of the strengths of the HA is our broad interest in all areas of history. So many history themes and narratives focus on the big issues, but for many of us, history starts in the local. That is why we introduced Local History and Community Month for each May – it is an opportunity to promote, highlight and celebrate the local history that is around us at all times.
Importantly, for 2024 our Student oracy competition The Great Debate had the question ‘Which historical place or person from your local area deserves greater recognition?’ In this debate young people around the UK researched and presented their thoughts on how to answer that question. The range of stories, information and research is remarkable and to celebrate the work of these young historians and the breadth or local history that we have in the UK we have published some of those stories here.
The students have introduced their choice in their own style and they have also told the story in their own way; we have proofed their written versions but only lightly edited them to preserve their own voices and arguments.
If you gave a talk for the Great Debate or know of someone who did and they have not submitted their talk for publication but would like to contact Paula.kitching@history.org.uk.
- Margaret Wintringham
- Mary Paterson
- Patrick Steptoe
- The London School of Medicine for Women
- Bernard Oppenheimer
- Batley Variety Club
- Sam Beaver King MBE
- 1896 Winter Hill Mass Trespass
- Ellen Pitfield
- Francis Galton
- My grandmother
- The legacy of Lincoln’s Asylum
- Sophie Scholl
- Herbet Payne
- Paleontology and the people
- Mary Brancker
- Antrim’s Round Tower and Goban Saer
- Alice Arnold
- The Girl from Mars
- Louise Da-Cocodia
- Dagenham Ford Factory Strike
- Why the Cinderloo Uprising deserves greater recognition
- Mary Wollstonecraft
- Why Roman Exeter deserves greater recognition
- The story of Isaac Newell