Heritage with a Twist

Experience the past with Julie McKiernan and Corrie Shelley as they bring local history to life with humour, characters, costumes and music.

View a PDF of the other talks that we can offer.

Leigh Girls' Grammar School

Miss McKiernan and Miss Shelley will take you on a swift and sure journey back in time to Leigh Girls' Grammar School (LGGS). You will meet some of the teachers, see inside the building and learn some of its traditions and most memorable moments. But don't be late or you may end up on the settle outside the Headmistress' office!.

"You more than met our requirements with your fabulous presentation. I’ve never seen so many smiling faces after a meeting and comments saying how much they’d enjoyed it. Many thanks to you both."
Jenny, Leigh & District Family History Society

"Just to thank you very much for a great evening yesterday. As well as informative it was very entertaining. Great role play by Corrie and yourself, really got the audience involved. Once again, thank you."
Carol Gibbons, Over Hulton Heritage Group

What a fabulous talk for the Over Hulton Heritage Group May Guest Speaker Night. It was of little consequence that you may not be a former pupil of the school - this talk was made so interesting and was so well presented we were all enthralled. Well done Julie - and Corrie!"
John, Over Hulton Heritage Group

Three Nightclubs of Leigh

Revisit the hottest nightspots of Leigh with Babs and Sand who have been there, seen it, done it and served it up in a basket! Join them for last orders as they recall the times, tunes and fashions of the sixties. How many will you remember?

"Many thanks for a fabulous night last night, you couldn’t have done it better."
Carol Gibbons, Over Hulton Heritage Group

Wellies, Walks and Talks

Wellies, Walks and Talks local history walks around the Haigh Hall estate. A Healthy Arts project for Haigh Woodland Park supported by Heritage Lottery Fund, Sport England, 10GM and GM Walking.

Find out more at:
Healthy Arts: Wellies, Walks and Talks

MINING TRAILS

Four local mining trails, developed with Corrie Shelley to visit the former locations of collieries and other mining related sites. A Healthy Arts project for the Lancashire Mining Museum supported by National Lottery Heritage Fund, Peel L&P and Wigan Council.

Find out more at:
Healthy Arts: The Mine is Yours
Healthy Arts: Trails
Lancashire Mining Museum facebook page

Wanderland

A canal walking trail combining industrial heritage with wildlife and mindfulness. A Healthy Arts project for the Lancashire Wildlife Trust/Carbon Landscape Project supported by Lancashire Wildlife Trust, National Lottery Heritage Fund, The Turnpike CIC, Wigan Council and Arts Council England.

A Date to Remember

Local History talks about key events in the Leigh area commissioned by Archives: Wigan & Leigh, facilitated by Healthy Arts: ‘The Opening and History of Leigh Girls’ Grammar School’, ‘The Opening and History of Leigh Library’, ‘The Birth of Kathleen Drew Baker and Other Notable Ladies of Leigh’, ‘The Opening of The Garrick and other Leigh Nightspots’, ‘The Death of Joseph Farington Landscape Painter and Diarist’, ‘The Reading of the Riot Act’.

Building Memories Online Audio Tours

Three audio trails based around selected buildings and locations in and around Leigh town centre to capture, preserve and make public interesting historical facts and social memories of local people, illustrated by old and new photographs. A Healthy Arts project funded by a GM Mental Wellbeing grant from GMVCO, working in partnership with 10GM, funded by the Greater Manchester Health and Social Care Partnership. Recordings and images.

Local History and Wellbeing Talks

Online Local History talks commissioned by Archives: Wigan & Leigh and facilitated by Healthy Arts incorporating simple journalling exercises: ‘The History of Leigh’s Public Parks’ and ‘Letters To and From Leigh’.

Women’s Work

Online Local History talk exploring the work of the Lancashire Female Cotton Operative through fact, fiction and personal testimony for Wigan STEAM. Recording.

WW1 History Guided Tour

Local History Tour linking key sites of interest in Leigh, Atherton, Lowton and Pennington. Commissioned by Archives: Wigan & Leigh and funded by Wigan Council's First World War Centenary Commemoration Fund. Tour notes

The Avenue to Lilford Park Tour

Local History Tour using the 1911 Census to identify houses and residents of interest. A Healthy Arts project commissioned as part of the Lilford Park Centenary (LP100).

Funded by Wigan Council's First World War Centenary Commemoration Fund.

Hindley Speaks

A series of Local History talks at Chapter One Tearooms at Hindley Library. A Healthy Arts project commissioned by CRISP Communities CIC.