May is dedicated to Local and Community History Month. I bet you think you know everything there is to know about your local community? It is safe to say you probably don’t!
I thought I knew everything about the town I grew up in until I came across a book in my local library and found out some interesting facts about royal visits and the origin of street names. It sounds dull but local history doesn’t need to be ‘dull history’. It’s a great feeling being able to conjure up pictures from the past and relate them to things you do now around about your community.
Use the Local and Community History Month website to visit your community home page on your council or library website.
Who knows what you will find out about your local area? You might discover a relative you did not know about did something that changed the your area for the better. You might discover that your house used to be the site where a memorable event took place. The beauty is in not knowing what you will discover. It is like a treasure map of local community secrets and facts to be proud of.
The Historical Association are using the month to give local history a voice so why don’t you give it a specific accent? With a range of trips, lectures, library visits and other activities taking place across the country for the entire month you can really uncover local history.