Springboard into the year with this interactive session. Meet the team, hear from local organisers and chat through ideas and questions together.

Curtain up, and let’s welcome into the spotlight three brilliant entertainers who defied gender conventions. The popular male impersonator who became Britain’s highest earning woman. The Colonel who created a sideshow out of speculation about their marriage. The elegant ventriloquist with a matcho working class alter ego. Sit back and enjoy as Showtown in Blackpool introduce us to these stories of working lives that don’t revolve around a desk!

Inspiration, top tips and special offers to help you explore daily working life through the ages.

Join us to discuss plans for the year ahead before we launch registration.

In Georgian England a London merchant saw the opportunities of industry in the North. Settling in Cheshire he built Daresbury Hall for his family, from which a web of stories can be unravelled. Heatherfield Heritage have been digging in to the records to follow the threads of these everyday histories and share some of them with us here - but watch out for more over the festival in September!

New Year is a time for lists, resolutions and honours; so reflecting on last year and thinking about what highlights lie ahead, we’ve come up with an alternative Honours list. To get you thinking about what catches attention, here are some events that proved firm favourites for the team and media in 2025.