Local History News - Where is Local History Month?

Local History Month appears to have become a non-event for the third year running. When launched a few years ago the decision was made that May was the best month for the event, although some local historians, including us, thought that it was a bad choice. After a poor showing in 2005, the event was moved to September in 2006. In the very last issue of Local History Magazine which we edited (No.107, April/May 2006), we questioned this decision as well and suggested that July may actually be the best choice for a number of reasons.

Well, September didn’t work, despite the Association’s claim that ‘over 250 organisations participated with events such as family history workshops in Nottingham, Manchester and Liverpool and online debates’. If it was such a success why did they decide that in 2007 Local History Month was moving back to May and would be ‘even bigger and more successful than the 2006 event’. So, with May just days away we thought that we would look at the Local History Month website and see what others were saying or doing about ‘Local History Month’.

On 25 April 2007 we could see no mention of the month on the Federation of Family History Societies website and the only event shown on the British Association for Local History website is their AGM and an ‘Open Forum’ in London on 2 June which they have called ‘Local History day’. The Historical Association’s local and community history website in its events section has zero entries for Scotland, Northern Island (sic), NW England and East Anglia, with just one entry for Wales. There are six events posted by three organisations for NE England & Yorkshire, of which four related to LHM. It is not much better for the East & West Midlands, where four organisations have listed seven events of which three are during LHM. In SW England there are nine events all in LHM listed by two organisations. SE England which includes Greater London has ten events listed by seven organisations of which four are in LHM.

Out of 33 events listed only 21 relate to LHM. None have been posted by local history societies. By any measure this represents failure. Like so much else associated with local history organisation in England (the term ‘British’ has long been a barrier to getting the support of local historians in the other countries which make up Great Britain) it is the failure to engage with grass root activists and to place ownership in their hands which has resulted in this overwhelming indifference or any real desire to publicise local and county events beyond their own areas of interest.

So, where is Local History Month? Nowhere is the answer if the evidence is to believed. Of course there are activists, societies, libraries and others organising events which haven’t been listed on the Historical Association’s website, but they are far and few between. Another aspect of the problem is that May is also Museums and Galleries Month and then there is the Archives Awareness Campaign which is ongoing. Nor should we forget Black History Month if we want local history to be celebrated and promoted in all its incarnations, from general groups to specialist interest groups. In other words there is a lot of competition out there which results in a crowded calendar, not to mention the impact of Lottery funding in its various guises.

Looking back over the past twenty years or so, the evidence suggests that county and sub-regional local history fairs which bring activists and societies together for 1–2 days work best. They can be take place at different times which allows local historians and others from neighbouring counties and regions to attend a number of showcase events. The major problem is that these events rely almost exclusively on volunteers, including the archive, library and museum professionals who give their time, skills and enthusiasm to making such events successful. They are time consuming and exhausting (we know from our own involvement) and they often depend on the leadership of one exceptional individual. Local history fairs on this scale can only be managed every other year.

It is the local history umbrella associations in our counties and large conurbations, in partnership with the regional archives, libraries and museums councils and the Lottery, who hold the key to helping local activists and societies grow in so many ways. The best in local history engages not only individuals but communities and interest groups as well in limitless ways. Local History Month’s top down approach has been well intentioned at best, patronising at worst. Now it’s time for a rethink as to how local historians can make best use of what limited resources they have.