This Lughnasadh / Lammas; the Gaelic fire festival marking the grain & fruit harvest, we’re coming together on Windsor Street to consider the past and future traditions of land, food, community, energy and place:
- Make and taste flatbread from 12 noon with Edi! With heritage grain flour gifted by our pal Fred from Gothelney Farm & UK Grain Lab.
- Squash building tours with architect and co-founder of People Powered Retrofit Marianne Heaslip – come and find out more about how we co-designed and built our eco community building. 11.30 and 1pm.
- Visit the Travelling Power Station which will be rocking up to Windsor Street! The Travelling Power Station is an exhibition, game and space for having conversations about energy. It has been designed by communities for communities, putting people rather than energy systems at the centre. Participants need no prior knowledge of, or interest in energy. The Travelling Power Station centres fun, game playing, reflection, conviviality and care as crucial to the future of energy. Meet artist Josh and join in! With love and support from Two Up, Two Down, Zero Carbon Liverpool and the University of Manchester.
- Add to the Lughnasadh altar with artists Tabitha & Clare
- Visit the Co-Labouring with Soil exhibition at our community garden 12.30pm
- Every Saturday is Sourdough Saturday at the Squash cafe – loaves and sweet bakes on sale from 10am!
AT SQUASH, 112-114 WINDSOR STREET, LIVERPOOL, L8 8EQ
Access info: The Squash building is fully accessible including level threshold entrance (shop/cafe) and ramp access to the garden. There is an accessible toilet. The Grapes Community Garden is a short walk from Squash, approx. 150 meters along Windsor Street. There is some uneven ground in the garden.
‘Where do you get your local news from?’ A talk by Dr Julia Paul as part of Heritage Open Days Festival.
For years Southport had two main weekly newspapers, while dozens of other titles served the nearby towns. Although The Southport Visiter is still printed, many of the other newspapers have closed.
The Visiter is one of the oldest weekly newspapers in the UK. Its first edition was published on Saturday 4th May 1844. Many people also remember The Champion, the free newspaper series that opened in 1994, and closed in 2022. An industry that was once a part of every home in the UK is disappearing.
Now Dr Julia Paul, a journalist and academic who lives in Southport, is recording oral histories with the people who produced the town’s newspapers. Her project, Behind the Headlines of Southport’s Newspapers, will capture the memories of those who worked in the industry. But also highlight that although newspapers as a product feel like an anachronism, the need for local news for local people is as important as it ever was.
In this talk, Dr Julia Paul will present the memories of the local people she’s interviewed so far.
You can find out more about Dr Paul’s work at https://drjuliapaul.com/
Main image credit: Stand Up For Southport
Arthur Machen and The Angel of Mons, a talk by Raymond Russell
The First World War myth of The Angels of Mons grew from an obscure short story written by Arthur Machen.
In this talk, author and publisher Ray Russell will tell the story of how Machen came to write his story, “The Bowmen”, and how his short work of fiction took on a life of its own in the popular imagination, becoming one of the first urban legends.
Raymond Russell is chair of The Friends of Arthur Machen Society.
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This talk coincides with the current The Angels of Mons exhibition, which is presented in partnership with Mons Memorial Museum. Be sure to explore the exhibition during your visit and delve deeper into the fascinating supernatural phenomena of World War I.
How Warfare Changed During WW1
A talk by Wing Commander Steve Chaskin (retired)
1914 The Domination of the Battlefield by Artillery The start of the First World War saw years of development in the capability of artillery fully realised. However, the very success achieved by Field Artillery and Super Heavy Siege guns resulted in a total change to the nature of warfare. The artillery of all nations had to react to changed conditions and to counter new threats, such as aircraft.
The talk will examine the use of artillery in 1914 and illustrate the rapid changes required by trench warfare. This talk will also contain lots of genuine examples for the public to see.
About Wing Commander Steve Chaskin
Wing Commander Steve Chaskin OBE RAF (Retd) joined the Royal Air Force in 1980 and trained as a fast jet navigator, a role known as a Weapon Systems Officer in the United States Air Force. He flew F4 Phantom and then the Tornado F3 in the air defence role, amassing over 1000 flight hours on both aircraft types. From 1983 to 2000 he contributed to protecting NATO’s borders in Western Europe, intercepting Soviet intruders, operating between Iceland and Norway before policing the Inner German Border until the fall of the Soviet Union. He has extensive operational experience including flying from diverse locations such as the Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic, to the deserts of Southern Iraq.
After his flying career he worked in both the Royal Air Force electronic warfare and intelligence communities. For this service he was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). He also completed a deployment to Tashkent, Uzbekistan as the UK Defence Attache in support of operations in neighbouring Afghanistan. His last appointment before retiring in 2024 was commanding 611 Squadron (reserves) at RAF Woodvale.
Iraq Op Telic 9 – Arnhem in Basra by Carl Gardner
Book Launch & Q&A with the Author
Join highly decorated veteran and author Carl Gardner for the launch of Iraq Operation Telic 9 – Arnhem in Basra, a gripping first-hand account of Arnhem Company’s deployment to Basra City in 2006.
Told from the perspective of the Company Sergeant Major, this powerful memoir chronicles seven months of intense combat, constant lethal attacks, and the harsh realities of life on the front line. Through previously untold stories, Carl reflects on the courage, sacrifice, loss and resilience of the soldiers who served during one of the most challenging periods of the conflict.
Both compelling military history and a deeply personal story, Iraq Operation Telic 9 – Arnhem in Basra offers an honest perspective of those who lived through it.
During the evening, Carl will share the experiences behind the book, the realities of conflict, and his journey from soldier to writer.
Copies of the book will be available to purchase
The RefugeLiverpool Arab Arts Festival 2026 – Photography exhibition(In collaboration with the Exhibition Research Lab Gallery at John Moores University)
Through the eclectic perspectives of contemporary photography artists, the group exhibition The Refuge reflects on the notion of ‘home’ in the context of today’s Arabness. Each work explores nuanced stories of displacement and longing, whiler evealing home as a paradox in transition – whether rooted in place and territory, carried through family and sociocultural heritage, or shaped by memory, movement, and lived geographies.
ARTISTS: Abdulrahman Hassona, Farah Maktari, Houari Bouchenak, Lydia Saidi, Maya-Ines Touam, Shareef Sarhan
July 16th – July 24th
Mondays & Wednesdays 11am – 5pmTuesdays & Thursdays 12pm – 5pm
VENUE: The Exhibition Research Lab Gallery, John Moores University
LAUNCHThursday 16th JulyStart – 6.00pmFinish – 8.00pm – CLICK HERE
ARTIST TALKWednesday 22 JulyThe Exhibition Research Lab Gallery, John Moores UniversityStart: 2pmEstimated finish time: 4pmPrice: FREE – Register to attend
Where Are All The Women Artists? – a talk by Dr Julia Clayton
Can you tell, just by looking at it, whether a specific artwork was made by a man or a woman? This talk, presented in conjunction with The Atkinson’s exhibition Taking Centre Stage: Female Artists in The Atkinson’s Collection, explores the reasons why women artists are under-represented both in major collections and in traditional narratives of art history.
While this is partly due to the social, economic and educational barriers historically faced by women artists, it’s also the case that some artworks by women were misattributed to their male contemporaries. This talk looks at how these misattributions arose, how they were consolidated by the pressures of the art market, and whether there is such a thing as a distinctive style of women’s art.
Celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Smiths’ seminal The Queen Is Dead with an evening dedicated to one of the most acclaimed and influential albums of all time. Voted NME’s Greatest Album of All Time and consistently ranked among the finest records ever made, The Smiths’ 1986 masterpiece continues to inspire generations of musicians and fans alike.
Join legendary Smiths drummer Mike Joyce and co-producer of the album, Stephen Street, alongside a special guest host, for an insightful and joyful conversation celebrating the making and enduring legacy of this landmark album.
Through stories, memories and behind-the-scenes insights, Mike and Stephen will take a deep dive into the recording of The Queen Is Dead, discussing each song track-by-track, studio sessions and creative processes that helped define a generation and continue to resonate with listeners four decades later. The evening will also feature an audience Q&A, archive video, signings and memorabilia, giving fans a rare chance to hear first-hand from two of the people behind the record.
Don’t miss this unique celebration of one of the greatest British albums ever made, with two of the people who helped bring it to life.
Join Bryan Biggs, our Director of Cultural Legacies, for a tour of our Grade I listed building.
Learn about our fascinating journey – from a charity school in the 18th century to the UK’s first arts center. Get special insights into our 300+ year history during Heritage Open Days.
Don’t miss out, reserve your free spot today. Booking essential.
Explore the Bluecoat’s Print Studio and try various printmaking techniques as part of Heritage Open Days.
Part of Heritage Open Days.
