DAY SCHOOL:
PRESERVING THE PAST? ISSUES OF CONSERVATION AND RESTORATION IN THE NORTH WEST

Saturday April 12 th 2008 at Aytoun Building, Manchester Metropolitan University, Aytoun Street, Manchester

Over the past decade many historic buildings, mills, warehouses, churches and others, which have outlived their original function, have been rescued from demolition. Restored to their original state they have bee adapted to serve other purposes, often as apartments, hotels or bars and restaurants.

This conference aims not only to look at the mechanics of this process, but also to ask questions about their selection and about the importance of preservation both for the historian and for the wider community.

Speakers will include Kate Dickson (Heritage Works) and Gill Wright (Victoria Baths), both actively involved in the restoration of iconic Manchester buildings, Henry Owen-John (English Heritage, North West), a body which has provided much of the expertise and funding for restoration work, and David Garrard (Historic Churches Adviser, The Victorian Society), an organisation concerned with the preservation of Britain’s 19 th Century cultural heritage. Professor Alan Kidd (MMU), an expert on Manchester’s past, will preside.