Oldham Histories Festival Sep 2020 celebrates the people, places & stories of #Oldham. Northern Roots will be celebrating #Oldham’s remarkable ‘green’ history; a story of working men’s botany, fossil forests & the extraordinary woman behind the Beautiful Oldham Society.

Cottonopolis! At the dawn of the 20th century, Oldham’s skyline was dominated by the mills & chimneys of the Industrial Revolution. Centred on cotton, Oldham had become the textile processing capital of the world. At its peak, there were over 360 mills, operating night & day.

Writing to the @OldhamChronicle in 1901, pioneering social reformer Mary Higgs asked: ‘Beautiful Oldham. Why not? Shall We try for it?’ The first woman to take the Natural Science Tripos at Girton College, Cambridge, she founded the #BeautifulOldhamSociety in 1902.

Influenced by the Garden City movement & driven by the formidable energy of Mary Higgs, the #BeautifulOldhamSociety aimed to radically beautify Oldham through plants, gardens & the protection of its green spaces. Mary was most definitely ahead of her time! http://www.pixnet.co.uk/Oldham-hrg/members/carol-talbot/mary%20higgs/narrative.html

Step back in time with #OldhamHistoriesFestival2020 self-led heritage trails! Walk in the footsteps of Roman soldiers on the Delph trail, explore a fun-packed family trail in stunning Alexandra Park & experience the Ghost Tour, if you dare… https://galleryoldham.org.uk/oldham-histories-festival-2020/ @visit_mcr

Walk history! From Grade 2 listed Alexandra Park, created during the 1860’s Cotton Famine, to Park Bridge Heritage Centre, founded in 1786, via @NorthernRootsOL 160-acre wilderness with it echoes of the #BeautifulOldhamSociety & Pony Club events... https://northern-roots.uk/discover/ 

Writing to the @OldhamChronicle in 1901, pioneering social reformer Mary Higgs asked: ‘Beautiful Oldham. Why not? Shall We try for it?’ The first woman to take the Natural Science Tripos at Girton College, Cambridge, she founded the #BeautifulOldhamSociety in 1902.

Influenced by the Garden City movement & driven by the formidable energy of Mary Higgs, the #BeautifulOldhamSociety aimed to radically beautify Oldham through plants, gardens & the protection of its green spaces. http://www.pixnet.co.uk/Oldham-hrg/members/carol-talbot/mary%20higgs/narrative.html