Deborah Woodman
Speaker Topics
History
Locations Covered
West Midlands, East Midlands, Yorkshire & Humber, North East, North West
Fees
£75 - £150
Availability
1 Month Minimum
Profile Bio
I am Dr Deborah Woodman, a researcher, writer and local historian. I spent over 25 years working in the Higher Education Sector in a professional services and teaching capacity. I was in research development for many years, and I have taught history at the Universities of Huddersfield, Salford, and Manchester Metropolitan University. I now have the joy of researching my passion for history full-time.
My research to-date has mainly focused on the Manchester region, but time now allows me to expand my horizons. I also specialise in the history of drink in society, trade and commerce, popular politics, and issues around class and society during the nineteenth century.
Talk Description
The Public House in Victorian Society
Here we take a journey through the history of the Victorian pub. We look at the many functions of pubs in daily life and the effects of drinking habits on society. Pubs and drink culture underwent significant change over the course of the nineteenth century, and we explore the factors, such as increased legislation, the rise of the big breweries, and the tied house system, that had a radical impact on the drink trade and how we consumed alcohol. We also look at the different types of hostelries that existed and the ornate architecture that became a feature of Victorian pubs.
Other Talks
The Breweries of Manchester & Salford
Over the last 250 years or so, Manchester and Salford have had a thriving brewing industry, and their history is often overlooked compared with the brewing giants located in Burton-on-Trent and London. Here, we begin the story in 1776 with the arrival of Caister and Fray, who went on to become Boddingtons, probably the most well-known local brewer, and which became affectionately labelled The Cream of Manchester during the 1990s, but succumbed to the brewery takeovers that were a feature of the industry for over a century. We look at the changes from the time when publicans brewed their own beer to the rise of the large breweries. We also look at other key local brewers, such as Wilsons, Chesters, Joseph Holt, and Hyde’s Anvil in Manchester; and Groves & Whitehall at the Regent Road brewery and Thelfalls, both in Salford. We follow the story through to the decline of the brewing industry in the region during the twentieth century, including the much-publicised takeover of Boddingtons and the closure of Strangeways brewery. The twenty-first century is seeing a revival of small-scale micro-breweries that are bringing localism back to the industry, and the former decline has recently been offset by this revival, where small brewers are utilising redundant spaces such as railway arches in a very productive way.
Life in Victorian Manchester
Manchester, famous for the Industrial Revolution and its cotton industry, was the shock city of its age, with its factories and often very poor living conditions. A society emerged where you were either middle class or working class, rich or poor, and this division affected all aspects of daily life. Here, we take a look at what life was really like in Victorian Manchester, examining some of the notable people, streets, and buildings that shaped the development of this remarkable city.