History Festival features packed programme

This year’s Plymouth's History Festival is set to begin later this week and features a packed programme filled with 125 events.

The festival will run from Friday 1 May to Sunday 31 May and is coordinated by Plymouth City Council’s arts and heritage service, with the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund and a wide variety of local organisations, societies, charities and individuals.

This year’s programme includes exhibitions and displays, talks and presentations, behind-the-scenes tours, guided walks and family-friendly activities, plus a series of special events and open days.

A new category featuring events that are food, drink, music and performance-based has also been introduced for this year.

Venues range from community halls to church halls, country houses to museums and galleries and archives to libraries. Events will take place in the city centre, along the waterfront, Hoe and Barbican and across the suburbs – even at a house in North Prospect that has been turned into a gallery.

If you’re keen to get an insight into Plymouth’s past there’s a range of topics to choose from including the city’s naval and maritime history, Nancy Astor, World War Two and the Blitz, Victorian Plymouth, Medieval Plymouth and historic Plympton.

For those who like discovering new things, the festival also gives people a chance to explore of some of Plymouth’s hidden treasures such as the Jewish Synagogue or the cellars of the Masonic Lodge, or sites that are usually off-limits to the public such as Stonehouse Barracks, the Royal Citadel and the former Royal Naval Hospital.

“This year’s History Festival programme is more varied than ever before and offers so much scope for people to find out about the proud history of this city,” said Deputy Council Leader Peter Smith. “With 125 events that cater for so many ages and interests there are lots of opportunities for people to get involved, reinforce their current knowledge and discover stories they may not have previously known.”

A special History Festival ale has even been produced in partnership with Plymouth’s oldest working brewery Summerskills and it will be available throughout the month at five historic pubs.

Full event listings can be found at www.plymhistoryfest.wordpress.com. You can also pick up a free brochure from the Museum and Art Gallery or your local library, or request one by calling 01752 304774.

People can also stay up-to-date with festival developments at www.facebook.com/plymhistoryfest and www.twitter.com/plymhistoryfest.