The final free talk in our Invisible Histories series is by Sheila Cohen on Wednesday 22 April at 2pm - Notoriously militant: the story of a union branch at Ford Dagenham.
Sheila Cohen's book Notoriously militant, based on original research and oral history, covers the history of Ford's Dagenham plant - and its roots in Henry Ford's early US activities - from 20th century shop floor struggles to the 21st century fight against plant closure.
On Friday 8 May at 2pm at the Library, Professor Sharon Ruston (Lancaster University) will give a 40-minute talk followed by a Q&A session, on Mary Wollstonecraft and natural history. In her talk, she will discuss the way that Wollstonecraft used natural history knowledge to form her ideas for her feminist treatise, Vindication of the Rights of Woman. Admission free.
On Sunday 10 May at 2pm in the Peel Hall at the University of Salford, the Library and the University present a centenary tribute to Ewan MacColl.
In Ewan MacColl, his life, his words, his music Gerard Cairns ("Shameless") is the young MacColl, Mike Joyce (The Smiths) is the (slightly) more mature MacColl and John Conolly ("Fiddler's Green" and "Mr. Punch and Judy Man") sings the songs.
Tickets £12 (£8 Salford University students) will be available shortly from the University online shop (NB tickets will not be available from the Library). All proceeds to the Library.
On Thursday 14 May the Library is again taking part in the nationwide Museums at Night celebration with an event, Songs from Cottonpolis.
Come and enjoy the fine acoustic of the Library's hall - drop in any time 5-7.30pm to hear singing, browse exhibits and enjoy refreshments.
The Bailey Sisters are a trio who perform early and traditional music. Though known for their fine acapella performances; they also accompany their singing with fiddle, guitar and percussion. They are marking Museums at Night by busking on the stairs at the Library. Their material draws on our resources to present a history of the Manchester cotton trade in story and song.
On Saturday 16 May at 2pm Frances O'Grady, TUC General Secretary, will give the sixth annual Frow Lecture at the Old Fire Station on the Crescent. Her topic is 'The future of the left - where next for Labour, trade unions and the working class?'
The 2015 Blackstone Edge Gathering will be on Saturday 2 May. This is a gathering of choirs, individuals and small groups who walk up to the rocky outcrop on Blackstone Edge, picnic and sing Chartist and other songs to remember the great Chartist gathering there, almost 170 years ago. All are welcome to join in the singing or just listen. No charge, no booking needed.
Meet in the car park below the White House pub on the road from Littleborough to Halifax, ready to start walking up to the Edge at 12.30pm. More information at http://blackstoneedgegathering.org.uk
The Manchester Centre for Regional History is running a programme of talks on ‘People's History':
Monday 27 April 5.30pm Geoffrey Manton Lecture Theatre 4, Manchester Metropolitan University - The history of people's history: ideals, meanings and legacies
Monday 11 May 5.30pm Geoffrey Manton Lecture Theatre 4 - "History is the new punk": the International History From Below Network
Monday 18 May 5.30pm People's History Museum - Creating and curating community histories - independent community-led archives and the ‘useable past'.