Some early publicity for my new book, The Scuttlers, coming in May next year. Available to pre-order now linktr.ee/TheScuttlers

🚨Book news!🚨 I'm thrilled to announce that I'm writing a new book. The Scuttlers: The True Story of Manchester's Most Feared Gangs will be published on 6 May 2027 by HarperNorth, the Manchester-based imprint of @harpercollins.bsky.social It's available to pre-order now: linktr.ee/TheScuttlers

Thanks to artist Elton Darlo for sketching me at the Manchester and Lancashire Family History Society spring fair today. Chatted to some great people. George, the man I’m chatting with in the sketch, was telling me about his ancestor who was a scuttler - a Victorian street fighter.

A fab St Patrick’s Day doing a talk at Manchester Central Library on my 30 year journey to trace my Irish roots. It was part of an Irish Research Day organised by the brilliant Manchester and Lancashire History Society ☘️🇮🇪

It’s been a while but my good pals Yakub Qureshi, Chris Osuh and I are back with a second season of our Everything But a Beach Manchester history podcast. Mills: Love telling the story of the real lives of Manchester’s mill workers is available now from all major podcast outlets.

It’s been ten years since I published by debut book, Angel Meadow, and I still get a kick out of seeing it in book shops. Nice to see it still well stocked here at Waterstones in Bury, Greater Manchester @waterstones.bsky.social

El gato has found a new use for my Victorian Ordnance Survey maps. #catsofbluesky #maps #history

I've taken a little risk of putting myself out there to make a short film about cooking one of the dinner's my Nan used to make for me. She died in 1998. If you like #food #nostalgia and #familyhistory, or just want to watch someone chopping carrots, the full film is on the link in the comments.

I've given my professional genealogy site a new look to better reflect my work in the mill towns of Greater Manchester and Lancashire: cottontownsancestry.com Do drop me a line using the site links if you need a researcher. #genhour #genealogy #familyhistory #ancestry #manchester #lancashire

Manchester Italian Association’s Madonna del Rosario procession has been taking place each summer since 1890. Here’s the Madonna on her way back to Little Italy in Ancoats this afternoon. #MadonnadelRosario #Ancoats #LittleItaly #Manchester #Italy

Chuffed to say I’m my little newsletter about the history of Manchester is back in the top 20 rising history newsletters over on Substack. #history #substack #writing

Thanks Cath. I agree. I do think there should be a public debate about it. Here’s a straw poll I’ve started in the story, asking readers their views. Moving it to a more appropriate location would at least allow Engels to be seen and discussed in context - Angel Meadow/Little Ireland.

‘Don’t steal my cats please’ #Manchester #graffiti #cats

Looking forward to giving a masterclass on tracing Victorian criminal ancestors based on my research into Manchester slums next week for the brilliant Family Tree Magazine #scuttlers #Victorian #familyhistory #genealogy #ancestry

Had the greatest night doing a talk on Friedrich Engels, Manchester and my family history for just under 300 people who came to see me for @manlitphil.bsky.social, pictured here as people were still arriving. 📸Thanks for the photos Gurbir Singh. #Manchester #history #FriedrichEngels #AngelMeadow

Had a look in Roald Dahl’s writing hut at his museum in Great Missenden. Among the unusual items Roald kept on his desk was the ball from his hip bone after it was removed in an operation. What’s the most unusual thing on your writing desk? #RoaldDahl #writinghut #authors #book

Not usually one for trends, but here you go and you can always join the real me for a real-life history walking tour adventure through the the streets of Manchester. Visit www.manchesterhistory.uk to buy tour tickets and join the club #actionfigures #actionfiguretrend #manchester

The sun is out for today’s history walking tour. It’s a fresh new T-shirt kind of day. 😎 Tickets for this summer’s tour dates via www.manchesterhistory.uk #Manchester #history #walkingtours

Oh the irony of Victorian graffiti being written over by modern day graffiti. A momentary connection between the hands of two people separated by more than a century. I wonder if they noticed the chisselled handwriting when they tagged the wall. #history #graffiti #manchester #victorian

All set for the first day of my 2025 history walking tour season. Today’s tour is fully booked but do check out the ‘come on a tour’ link at www.manchesterhistory.uk if you want to come on a guided walk through the streets of Victorian Manchester this spring. 🎟️🚶🏻‍♂️ #localhistory #genealogy #tours

Looking forward to giving this talk today for Family Tree magazine on tracing your Irish ancestor’s townland. Join us at 1pm www.family-tree.co.uk/how-to-guide... #familyhistory #genealogy #ancestry #genhour #familytree

I'll be in the @agragenealogy.bsky.social experts corner at the online Family History Show tomorrow offering advice about Victorian ancestors, tracing WW1 soldiers and mapping ancestral homes. Do drop by if you want to ask anything. #Manchester #familyhistory #genealogy #ancestry #ww1 #genhour

Looking forward to leading this family history course for the brilliant Hamilton Davies Trust, which supports the community in Irlam and Cadishead in Salford, Greater Manchester. Places already booked up. #Salford #Manchester #familyhistory #genchat #Irlam #Cadishead #genealogy #ancestry

There are still some tickets left for my talk tonight on tracing Irish ancestry. It's aimed at beginners tracing the birthplace of C19th Irish ancestors who settled in the UK. Tickets: www.tickettailor.com/events/manch... #Irishfamilyhistory #Irishanncestry #irishroots #familyhistory #genealogy

Very nice to appear in this list. Thank you Emma Cox... Top 10 Journeys into Genealogy podcast episodes open.substack.com/pub/journeys... #Familyhistory #genealogy #ancestry #oneplacestudies #history #Manchester #AngelMeadow

If you're looking for a Christmas gift for the history buff in your life, I'll be bringing back my walking tours of Angel Meadow in #Manchester for spring 2025. 🎄🎁🎅 Tickets available now on this link: www.tickettailor.com/events/manch... #localhistory #genealogy #walkingtours #Christmas2024

A little known fact about the story behind this blue plaque in Balloon Street in #Manchester is that James Sadler was not alone on this flight. He was accompanied by a cat. 🐈

Spent a cold afternoon very foolishly trying to record an audio walking tour and had to give up halfway round and go home, but I will be back. Check out Manchester’s lovely Chetham’s Library though. The oldest public library in the English-speaking world. #Manchester #libraries #localhistory #tours

Another good session at Burnage Library in south #Manchester for our local history group. I think we’ll be needing some extra chairs soon. If you live locally and want to come along, we meet every other Monday. Just drop into the library if you’re passing for more details. #localhistory #libraries

Looking forward to the second session of my new role as local history group leader at Burnage Library tomorrow. Last week we made a post it wall of things we’d like to do over the winter and tomorrow we’ll be looking at some clay pipes and talking about Victorian #Manchester slums. #localhistory