Books in the Celebrating series

A celebration of Blackpool's rich heritage and identity - its special events, achievements, people, industry and landmarks.

The Sussex seaside towns of Brighton and Hove, now combined as a city, attract millions of visitors every year. Apart from their enviable coastal location and dynamic cultural scene, they also have a wealth of history. In Celebrating Brighton & Hove, local author Kevin Newman highlights the people and events of Sussex's seaside city from the past right through to the present. He looks at the celebrations of yesterday, the remarkable individuals and the feats of great achievement and ambition. Here too are the places that make this favourite coastal city unique, vibrant and irresistible to visitors. The author explores the traditions and history that extend to today, and investigates industry and industrialists that have provided employment and prosperity across the ages. Among the items featured are the festivals and events that Brighton and Hove host, and the local heroes and benefactors. Also included are heartening stories of restoration and rejuvenation. From literature to sporting success, the worthy to the wartime city and inventions to royal visits, Celebrating Brighton & Hove highlights the city's fascinating history and defines what makes it so special today. Illustrated throughout, this book will be a valuable contribution to local history and of immense interest to residents, visitors and all those with links to this seaside city.

Southampton has been a major port on the south coast of England since the Middle Ages. As a gateway to the country, over the centuries Southampton has welcomed people from all over the world, as well as being an important embarkation point, most famously for the Mayflower and Titanic, the former evidence of its Nonconformist tradition. The town grew rapidly following the building of the docks in the nineteenth century and the development of the shipbuilding industry, particularly with companies such as Thornycroft and Harland & Wolff and the aviation industry as the birthplace of the Spitfire but its importance in the Second World War, including its naval base, meant that it became a target for aerial bombardment and much of the city was destroyed. In subsequent decades the city was rebuilt and today has been redeveloped as a commercial and financial centre, but retaining its many green spaces, and proud of its traditions and the many famous names associated with the city over the years. Building on the author's previous titles Secret Southampton and A-Z of Southampton, Celebrating Southampton chronicles the proud heritage of Southampton, its important moments and what draws so many to this dynamic city today. Illustrated throughout, this fascinating book offers a marvellous and refreshingly positive insight into Southampton's rich heritage, its special events and important moments. This book will be a valuable contribution to the history of the city and provide a source of many memories to those who have known it well over the years.

From its heyday in the nineteenth century as a major centre of wire making, textiles, chemical production and brewing through to its Second World War role as the largest US Army Air Force base in Europe and subsequent reinvention as a new town in the late 1960s, Warrington is now the largest town in Cheshire, with a proud heritage and distinctive identity. Celebrating Warrington highlights some of the significant aspects of the town's history including its important moments, worthy individuals, notable achievements and newsworthy events. Local heritage curator and author Janice Hayes brings together a superb collection of images and stories from Warrington Museum and Archives. There are a number of firsts the town is famous for from within its industries, entertainments, sporting successes, seasonal, national and local events and celebrations. Discover Warrington's unique Walking Day parades and explore how this unique local celebration has evolved. Remember travelling fairs and when the circus and other travelling entertainers came to town. Join the crowds at Warrington sporting events and be part of the welcome home parades for the town's successful rugby league team. Readers can witness the excitement around the unveiling of new enterprises and heritage sites, or the launch of locally built ships and the opening of the Thelwall Viaduct. Then there are the reflective acts of remembrance for national and local events from major conflicts to local tragedies. Open the family album to discover how Warrington has recorded key milestones in people's lives or marked royal events from coronations and jubilees to when Warrington turned out to welcome its royal visitors. Illustrated throughout, this book will appeal to local residents, visitors and all those with connections to the town.