What children eat at school has long been a matter of political debate, social concern, and everyday experience. Since the introduction of the School Meals Service in 1906, meals served in schools have been used to tackle malnutrition, reduce inequality, and promote social inclusion. They have also been the site of controversy, from free milk in the 1940s to Jamie Oliver’s campaign against Turkey Twizzlers, and today’s calls for universal free school meals.

This lecture explores how policy, practice, and lived experience have shaped school dining across the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries. With reference to new oral histories, archival evidence, and ethnographic studies in contemporary schools, the lecture highlights the emotional and sensory dimensions of mealtimes as well as their wider social and cultural meanings. At stake is more than what children eat. School meals open a window onto questions of inequality, poverty, community, and the politics of care.

This event is also open to non-members, with fee of £5. Registration opens on 1^st October when the red ‘Register [Individual]’ button will show on the top left of this page, just click on that button, you will also receive an email confirmation. Non-members will be required to create a free FHSC account and complete the payment details. Registration will close on 19th October.

The zoom links/meeting protocol will be forwarded to all registrants the day before the talk.

If you run into any difficulties with this, then please contact us on the dedicated seminar email address – The Seminar series is co-ordinated by Margaret Spate, Jean Laidlaw and Margaret Roberts and ALL correspondence, queries etc should be sent to the dedicated email address.

PLEASE NOTE WE DO NOT RECORD SEMINAR TALKS

Publishing your Family History Research Group, covers all aspects of publishing your research, whether you are considering writing a book, creating a website or blog, submitting an article to the Cheshire Ancestor, recording a podcast etc, then this group is the ideal place to discuss your ideas and concerns. Led by Victoria Doran, the group meets on the fourth Monday of the month at 2:30pm, with a break for the Summer.

The DNA Group focuses on the growing role of genetic testing in genealogy, allowing participants to exchange results, tips, and advice on interpreting DNA data.

The Group, led by Diane Kuster, meets on the fourth Monday of the month at 7:30pm.

Zooming in on Family History is a wide-ranging chatty session where members can come along to ask for help with their research, brickwall or questions relating to using the online databases such as Ancestry and FindMyPast. Discussions also cover research techniques and problem-solving strategies, an excellent place for newcomers to family history to ask questions and learn the basics of tracing their ancestry.  Maybe you live outside Cheshire and want to dive into the rich history of the county or explore how local events, records, and geographic changes could  inform their family research.  The Group, which meets on the fourth Wednesday of month at 7:30pm is led by Margaret Roberts and Sheila Jones.

The Historical Newspapers Group, which meets on the first Friday of the month at 2pm and is led by Margaret Roberts, explores the use of old newspapers in family history research. Hints and tips on using the newspapers online, how to get the best out of your searches and sharing stories of successes, and failures are a mainstay of the group.

The Windows PC Discussion Group, previously known as the Computer Club , meets regularly at 7.30pm on the second Wednesday of each month - on Zoom. 

Its key objectives are to:

• Provide a forum where computer-using members can exchange views
• Keep ourselves up-to-date with the latest genealogical software and techniques
• Present alternative programs and computing methods
• Discuss computer administration and good-practice
• Untangle and learn to use new databases

Informality is the order of the day and members are actively encouraged to bring along their current technical problems. Chances are that somebody will have an answer, but if not we have been known to spend big chunks of the meeting finding out!

Meetings and topics are seldom pre-arranged very far ahead.  Our general practice is to discuss new websites, members’ own current problems, or generally educating members on getting the best from their computers. We are here to help and learn from each other!  The proposed subject of each meeting is usually announced the week before, by email to the group members .

The Group is led by a small committee and meetings are 'chaired' by a committee member each month. 

The MAC Users Discussion Group meets on the second Wednesday of the month at 19:30pm. The group is led by John Reed and is the perfect place to discuss any issues or share your hints and tips and learn from other members about all things MAC related. Thinking of swapping to a MAC  then there is no better way to find out more.

Family History Through the Eyes of Great Novelists! Have you ever wondered what the great novelists of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries can teach us about our ancestors?

Join us as Dave Annal takes a fascinating exploration of family history hidden within the pages of some of Britain's best-loved novels. Drawing on the works of authors including Charles Dickens, Jane Austen, Thomas Hardy, George Eliot, Emily Brontë, and Wilkie Collins, Dave reveals how fiction can provide remarkable insights into the lives, experiences, and challenges faced by our ancestors. Using extracts covering subjects such as family relationships, birth, baptism, marriage, work, education, travel, and family research, Dave demonstrates how novelists can help us understand the social realities behind the records we use every day. Along the way, we encounter family trees, agricultural labourers, Victorian city streets, and even a Dickens character who could be described as one of the earliest family historians.

The talk concludes with a piece of advice from Great Expectations that every genealogist should remember: "Take nothing on its looks; take everything on evidence. There is no better rule." Whether you are a lover of classic literature, an enthusiastic family historian, or simply curious about how fiction can illuminate the past, this promises to be a thought-provoking and enjoyable presentation.

This event is also open to non-members, with fee of £5. Registration opens on 1^st November when the red ‘Register [Individual]’ button will show on the top left of this page, just click on that button, you will also receive an email confirmation. Non-members will be required to create a free FHSC account and complete the payment details. Registration will close on 16th November.

The zoom links/meeting protocol will be forwarded to all registrants the day before the talk.

If you run into any difficulties with this, then please contact us on the dedicated seminar email address – The Seminar series is co-ordinated by Margaret Spate, Jean Laidlaw and Margaret Roberts and ALL correspondence, queries etc should be sent to the dedicated email address.

PLEASE NOTE WE DO NOT RECORD SEMINAR TALKS

The Family Historian Users Group provides support and tips for using Family Historian software. Led by Peter Rowley members are welcome to chat about their experiences of using the software and to discuss any problems etc that other members of the group may be able to help out with

Publishing your Family History Research Group, covers all aspects of publishing your research, whether you are considering writing a book, creating a website or blog, submitting an article to the Cheshire Ancestor, recording a podcast etc, then this group is the ideal place to discuss your ideas and concerns. Led by Victoria Doran, the group meets on the fourth Monday of the month at 2:30pm, with a break for the Summer.

The DNA Group focuses on the growing role of genetic testing in genealogy, allowing participants to exchange results, tips, and advice on interpreting DNA data.

The Group, led by Diane Kuster, meets on the fourth Monday of the month at 7:30pm.

Zooming in on Family History is a wide-ranging chatty session where members can come along to ask for help with their research, brickwall or questions relating to using the online databases such as Ancestry and FindMyPast. Discussions also cover research techniques and problem-solving strategies, an excellent place for newcomers to family history to ask questions and learn the basics of tracing their ancestry.  Maybe you live outside Cheshire and want to dive into the rich history of the county or explore how local events, records, and geographic changes could  inform their family research.  The Group, which meets on the fourth Wednesday of month at 7:30pm is led by Margaret Roberts and Sheila Jones.

The Family Tree Maker Users Discussion group meets on the fourth Thursday of every second month at 7:30pm via Zoom.

The group is led by Tony Cox and covers all aspects of using Family Tree Maker, so this is the place for asking any questions or sharing tips on how to use the programme

To be included in the emailing list to receive the zoom link for these meetings please return to the Homepage of the website, scroll down the left-hand menu and click on Discussion Groups, then click on 'Subscribe' for this or any other Discussion Group you would like to attend.

The Historical Newspapers Group, which meets on the first Friday of the month at 2pm and is led by Margaret Roberts, explores the use of old newspapers in family history research. Hints and tips on using the newspapers online, how to get the best out of your searches and sharing stories of successes, and failures are a mainstay of the group.

The Windows PC Discussion Group, previously known as the Computer Club , meets regularly at 7.30pm on the second Wednesday of each month - on Zoom. 

Its key objectives are to:

• Provide a forum where computer-using members can exchange views
• Keep ourselves up-to-date with the latest genealogical software and techniques
• Present alternative programs and computing methods
• Discuss computer administration and good-practice
• Untangle and learn to use new databases

Informality is the order of the day and members are actively encouraged to bring along their current technical problems. Chances are that somebody will have an answer, but if not we have been known to spend big chunks of the meeting finding out!

Meetings and topics are seldom pre-arranged very far ahead.  Our general practice is to discuss new websites, members’ own current problems, or generally educating members on getting the best from their computers. We are here to help and learn from each other!  The proposed subject of each meeting is usually announced the week before, by email to the group members .

The Group is led by a small committee and meetings are 'chaired' by a committee member each month. 

The MAC Users Discussion Group meets on the second Wednesday of the month at 19:30pm. The group is led by John Reed and is the perfect place to discuss any issues or share your hints and tips and learn from other members about all things MAC related. Thinking of swapping to a MAC  then there is no better way to find out more.

The Family Historian Users Group provides support and tips for using Family Historian software. Led by Peter Rowley members are welcome to chat about their experiences of using the software and to discuss any problems etc that other members of the group may be able to help out with

Zooming in on Family History is a wide-ranging chatty session where members can come along to ask for help with their research, brickwall or questions relating to using the online databases such as Ancestry and FindMyPast. Discussions also cover research techniques and problem-solving strategies, an excellent place for newcomers to family history to ask questions and learn the basics of tracing their ancestry.  Maybe you live outside Cheshire and want to dive into the rich history of the county or explore how local events, records, and geographic changes could  inform their family research.  The Group, which meets on the fourth Wednesday of month at 7:30pm is led by Margaret Roberts and Sheila Jones.