Glossop Guild for enquiring minds
Our Tutors
Terry Brown, B.Sc., Ph.D.
Terry Brown became fascinated with the natural world when he was very young. He began his research career studying the effects of metal pollution on microbes and the tolerance that some plants display to high concentrations of toxic metals. He then became excited by DNA and worked on genes in fungi for a few years. In the late 1980s, Terry became interested in ancient DNA and was one of the first people to study DNA in bones and preserved plant remains. This work has required close collaboration with archaeologists, both in Manchester and elsewhere, and has led to his current interests in the origins of agriculture, genetic profiling of archaeological skeletons and the evolution of disease. Terry was Professor of Biomolecular Archaeology at UMIST and the University of Manchester from 2000 until his retirement in 2019. He has written a number of undergraduate textbooks, including Gene Cloning and DNA Analysis: An Introduction (8th edition, Wiley-Blackwell, 2020) and Genomes (4th edition, Garland Science, 2017). Terry has presented courses on ‘DNA in Forensic Science and Archaeology’ and ‘DNA and modern Medicine’ and ‘The Path to the Genetic Code’.
R.S. Callow, B.Sc., Ph.D.
Robert Callow was a lecturer at Manchester University for almost thirty years (1974-2003) and a tutor with the Open University for nine (1992-2000). He appeared on the Channel 4 series “Six experiments that changed the world”. His research publications have been mainly concerned with chromosomal evolution in plants but he has taught plant ecology on numerous field-courses, both in the Mediterranean and in Britain. He has also led botanical holidays for the tour-company Cox and Kings. He is author, with Dr L.M. Cook, of Genetic and Evolutionary Diversity (Stanley-Thornes, 1999). Bob is a founder member of Glossop Guild and served on the committee for many years. He has also presented numerous courses for us on subjects associated with Botany.
Jeremy Dale, B.Sc., Ph.D.
Jeremy Dale is Emeritus Professor of Microbiology at the University of Surrey. He is author of the very successful Molecular Genetics of Bacteria. He has a special interest in the properties and control of the bacterium which causes bovine tuberculosis. Jeremy is an active supporter of Glossop Guild. He has already presented an informative and enlightening lecture entitled ‘Good and Bad Bugs’ and is back by popular demand.
Creina Mansfield, M.A., Ph.D.
Creina Mansfield teaches English literature. Her special interest is in the history of the modern novel and the construction of narrative, particularly in the works of Graham Greene.. She has recently presented a ten week course 'Aspects of the Novel' for the Wilmslow Guild. Creina presented a five-week course on Graham Greene's War in Spring 2010 and a ten-week course entitled 'The First World War - Three Testaments of Youth' in Spring 2011. She collaborates with Dr Alan Sennett in presenting Day-Schools on English Films, at which she contributes information on scripts, script-writers and the motivation behind the film. Creina and Alan Sennett have collaborated on three Film-Days for Glossop Guild: on 'The Third Man', 'Casablanca', 'The Quiet American', 'The Manchurian Candidate', 'Lawrence of Arabia', 'A Passage to India' and 'Good night and Good Luck'. In 2015 Creina presented a course entitled "The Bloomsbury Set"
Alan Sennett, M.A., Ph.D
Alan Sennett is an Associate Lecturer at the Open University and teaches modern history, politics and film at Manchester and Liverpool universities. He also lectures for a number of adult educational organisations in addition to freelance research and writing. He studied modern history at Sheffield City Polytechnic, took his M.A. in Political Sociology at Leeds University and a Ph.D. at Manchester University. Research interests include political organisations in the Spanish Civil War, and film propaganda in the 1920s, 1930s and 1940s (including cinema of Empire, Hollywood, Soviet and Weimar cinemas and the documentary film movement in Britain). Alan presented a ten-week courses on 'Britain and the Middle East' in Spring 2011 'Britain in the 1950s' in Spring 2012. He is a founder member of History Inc. Other members include Martin Jervis, B.A., Ph.D. who teaches English and American political history at the University of Bolton and Christopher Makepeace, B.A. who is an expert on the local history of Manchester. Further details can be found at their website:- http://www.historyinc.org.uk
Alan collaborates with Creina Mansfield in presenting Day-Schools on English Films, at which he contributes historical context and details of the film-maker's craft. Alan and Creina have collaborated on five Film-Days for Glossop Guild: on 'The Third Man', 'Casablanca', 'The Quiet American', 'The Manchurian Candidate', 'Lawrence of Arabia', 'A Passage to India' and 'Good nIght and Good Luck'. In 2015 Alan lectured to us on "World Empires"
Nigel Linge, B.Sc., Ph.D.
Nigel Linge is Professor of Telecommunications at the University of Salford. He specialises in computer networks and their applications. He also takes a keen interest in the engineering achievements that lie at the heart of our telecommunications revolution and the way in which they have transformed our lives. Nigel is a Chartered Engineer and Chartered IT Professional.
Birgitta Hoffman, M.A., Ph.D.
Dr Birgitta Hoffmann is an Honorary Research Fellow at Liverpool University and Co-Director of the Roman Gask Project. She teaches or has taught Archaeology, Ancient History and Latin at UCD Dublin, Manchester, Queen’s College Canada and Virginia Military Institute Virginia. She also lectures for a number of adult educational organisations in addition to freelance research and writing. She studied Roman Archaeology, Early Medieval Archaeology and Ancient History at Freiburg University in Germany. She has an M.A. in Roman Archaeology from Durham University and a Ph.D. in Roman Archaeology from Freiburg University. Birgitta Hoffmann is a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London and has published widely, especially on trade and long-distance contact across borders, military archaeology of the Roman and early modern periods, as well as Roman history and archaeology. She is Chairperson of the Wilmslow Community Archaeology Group. Birgitta presented five-week courses entitled 'The Roman Conquests of Britain' in Autumn 2010 and 'The Vikings at Home and Abroad' in Autumn 2011. Birgitta has also run twe highly successful day-schools, one on Roman Cookery and another on Medieval Cookery. In 2015 she lectured on "The Rise and Rise of Venice".
Peter Webb, B.Sc., Ph.D.
Pete Webb collected his first fossils in his back garden at the age of 4. He read geology at London University, graduating in 1967. The next four years were spent studying the volcanism of the African Rift Valley for his Ph.D. After a spell in academia, Peter joined the oil industry in 1974, working as a well-site geologist in the North Sea. Since then, he has worked in several continents, particularly in the southern hemisphere. He now works as a part-time consultant, mostly overseas managing explorations and providing training. Back home, he delivers public lectures, particularly on fracking for oil and shale gas. Peter collected his first fossils in his back garden at the age of 4.
Mark Henderson, BA, B.Sc., MB, ChB, PhD.
Born in the Peak District in 1946, I attended Edinburgh Medical School in the 1960s. After some time in practice I moved into research, obtaining a PhD in the process, and afterwards took up a university post. I gained a Readership, then took early retirement in the 1990s. A widower, my family grown up and left home, I moved to Glossop in 2002 to look after my ageing parents. I set up a one-man editing business that I could run from home while executing my caring responsibilities; I’ve mainly specialised in medical and scientific manuscripts, but I’ve edited some fiction work as well. At the same time (2002) I began to try my hand at fiction writing and also started to collect and research local folktales. A volume of my short stories was published in 2008 and a novel in 2009; then a children’s story, a spoof fairy-tale, was e-published in Texas. In 2010, Amberley Publishing brought out my study of the well-known Peak District legend & Murders in the Winnats Pass and a year later they published my collection of 62 Peak District folktales.
Richard Langthorp, B.Sc., M.Sc.
Richard Langthorp has a degree in Geology. Richard has a degree in Geology. His main interest is environmental change, and he recently completed a part-time MSc; his dissertation was on the nature of the recent reduction of sea ice area. In 2005 he formed Rock n Stroll to provide leisure and educational services in the Earth and Life Sciences through the medium of guided walks, documentaries and educational talks.
Claire Sweeney
​
Claire has a lifelong interest in music, particularly singing and piano, and as accompanist. She teaches music in schools and privately, and has established and conducted choirs in Cheshire.
Brian Peters, B.A., Ph.D.
Brian is a performer and researcher of English folk music. A singer and multi-instrumentalist, he has appeared at folk festivals and concerts in the UK, USA, Australia and Canada. As a teacher and lecturer he is known for his expertise on traditional ballads and taught classes at many North American summer schools, as well as publishing original research into the history of folk songs and the collectors who preserved them, culminating in a presentation at the Library of Congress, Washington DC in 2015. Brian writes for 'The Folk Music Journal', 'Living Tradition' and others.
Martin Porter, B.Sc.
Martin Porter has been an environmental activist for most of the last 20 years and has shared a police cell with Greenpeace Director Peter Melchett and been Swampy's spin doctor. He has campaigned against the building of the Newbury bypass and the second runway at Manchester Airport and was part of the successful Greenpeace campaign to stop the growing of GM crops. More recently he has been campaigning against fracking and organised the Manchester People's Climate March. He has a degree in astrophysics and is a social worker by profession.
Michael Howard, F.R.S.A and Ghislaine Howard
Michael and Ghislaine have lived in Glossop for over thirty years; Michael is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and a well-known art historian and artist who has written many books on art, including the definitive study on Lowry: L. S. Lowry: Visionary Artist, The Impressionists by Themselves and not least, working with Ghislaine: Ghislaine Howard: the Human Touch which was published earlier this year.
Ghislaine is an artist of international reputation, who was named as a Woman of the Year in 2008 for her contributions to art and society. She has work in many collections, including the Whitworth, Manchester Art Gallery and the Royal Collection. She is currently working on a major project relating to the idea of the Seven Works of Mercy.
Judith Wilshaw, BSc
I was brought up in the Marple area, where I still live, and I taught Science for many years, which explains an interest in industrial archaeology and the technical aspects of machinery and plant associated with the Industrial Revolution. I started running adult education classes in Local History in 1992 and this rapidly became a passion and driving force of my life. I seek to inform and enhance people’s understanding of their locality with talks on the history of the area and by direct observation in the field.
Les Berry, BA, MA
For many years before taking retirement I was a Senior Lecturer in the Department of English at the Manchester Metropolitan University, teaching across all of the department's degrees and supervising dissertations. My particular interests lay in the areas of Victorian literature and twentieth century American literature and culture.
In parallel with my professional career I have always pursued a keen interest in music, singing in choral societies and performing with both small jazz groups and big bands. Hence my particular fascination with the composers and works of the Great American Songbook.
Professor Valerie Bryson
Valerie is Professor Emerita of Politics (ie officially retired but still academically active) at the University of Huddersfield. She misses teaching, so she’s looking forward to her sessions with the Glossop Guild.
Valerie has published extensively on feminist theory and politics. Her most-read book is Feminist Political Theory (latest edition 2016), and she is currently working on a new book for Manchester University Press: Feminism: contemporary challenges and debates. She taught and researched at a number of UK universities before joining the University of Huddersfield in 1992.
Professor John W Derry
Emeritus Professor John Derry studied history at Emmanuel College, Cambridge. Following national service in the RAF he returned to Emmanuel College as a resident fellow. In 1961 he was appointed lecturer at the London School of Economics before returning to Cambridge to a lectureship at Downing College. 1970 saw the beginning of his distinguished career at Newcastle University where he ultimately became professor of history. His many publications include twelve books, including biographies of Pitt, Fox, Castlereagh and Grey.
Laura Houseman Phd, MA, BA (Hons)
Dr Laura Houseman studied Archaeology at the University of Manchester where she received her PhD. Her main area of research explores the management, meaning and perception of fresh water in Minoan Crete and is particularly interested in new approaches to understanding the complexity of Minoan society and the roles of art, architecture and religion in expressing this complexity. Laura has recently taught courses on ‘Living and Dying’ in the ancient Mediterranean world, and has given lectures on Minoan religion, burial practices, and the role and meaning of the sea in ancient Crete at the University of Manchester. Laura is also an independent researcher and is currently working on several publications.
Frank Vigon
Frank Vigon and his wife Sarnie were joint head teachers of Menorah Cheder, a highly popular inner city Media Arts High School for 12 years. He is currently an education consultant lecturing on education and examinations to teachers and sixth form students.
He lectures on a variety of topics to adult audiences including Politics, History, Education, Art History and Judaism. He was responsible for coordinating and managing the campaign to restore the grave of the Jewish Pre-Raphaelite painter Simon Solomon. He is also a copyist of well-known works of art in particular: Picasso, Matisse, Egon, Scheiler and Miro and a director and performer of plays performed by MADs .
Terry Goble BA, BSc, PhD
Terry started working life as a Geography teacher in the east end of London and progressed through the ranks to become a Deputy Head of a comprehensive school. He then moved into the University sector as a lecturer in Computing and Management. After several years of devising courses including an MBA he became Training Manager at an international telecommunications company. After several years he returned to education and became Head of Computing at a college. Another change took him back to industry as a consultant. The last fourteen years of his career, before retiring he spend at an international IT company finishing as Project Director.
Terry retired to Castleton and has always enjoyed reading and walking. Many years ago he found some walks that had references to literature in the Peak District. When he checked them they turned out to be wrong. He followed it through and decided to write a few short walks exploring the literature of the area. That then grew and grew until he came up with the idea for a book the The Literary Way. (see "publications page)
Professor Simon Bulmer MA, PhD
Simon Bulmer is Emeritus Professor of Politics at the University of Sheffield and Visiting Professor at LUISS Guido Carli University in Rome. He took an undergraduate degree in European Studies at Loughborough University (1972-75), a Masters in European Politics at Hull (1975-6), and then took his PhD at the London School of Economics on European Policymaking in the Federal Republic of Germany. He has lectured at Heriot-Watt University (1979-83), UMIST (1983-9) and then joined the Department of Government at the University of Manchester, where he was professor 1995-2007 and Head of Department 2001-4. He moved to Sheffield University in 2007 and was professor there until July 2020. His principal academic interests are the European Union, its relationship with Germany and the UK; German politics; and Brexit. Since retiring he continues to do some writing and teaching. However, he is enjoying having more time for cycling, travelling, a range of musical interests (including jazz and blues), as well as attending Glossop Guild as a ‘consumer’ of its courses.
Professor Ian Morison
​
Ian Morison is Emeritus Gresham Professor of Astronomy, having recently held the oldest chair of astronomy in the world and is in his 54th year at the Jodrell Bank Observatory. He has written 6 books on astronomy along with many magazine articles and is a founder member and now patron of the Macclesfield Astronomical Society.
Eileen Murphy
Eileen Murphy is a professional theatre writer and director. She has worked at Bolton Octagon, the Dukes, Lancaster, the Library Theatre, Manchester, M6 Theatre in Rochdale and numerous other community and touring companies. She was delighted to be commissioned some years ago to write ‘Hannah’ a monologue about Hannah Mitchell for the People’s History Museum in Manchester. Eileen is based in Bolton
Alison Loughlin Phd
Dr Alison Loughlin has been an HE lecturer in Philosophy for almost 30 years, with teaching experience extending from Pre-Socrates to contemporary and applied philosophy. She has published works on epistemology, philosophy of science and on issues relating to health and social justice, and has also delivered many courses for the public, most recently on the meaning of life
Kevin Harrison
Kevin Harrison holds degrees from Leicester, Aberystwyth and the Open Unversity. He has taught history and politics, in one form or another in Further and Higher Education for almost thirty-five years. Of history, Kevin agrees with Cicero: “to be ignorant of what occurred before you were born is to forever remain a child”. Of politics, he believes the old adage, “You might not be interested in politics, but you can be sure that politics is interested in you.”
Ellie Wilcox, MA, BA
Ellie Wilcox has an undergraduate degree in the History of Art & Design and an M.A. in Creative Writing from the Manchester Writing School. She has taught English to speakers of other languages in both the UK and China and has also taught creative writing in schools, hospitals and other community settings. Currently, Ellie works at Chatsworth House as a Guide, providing tours and talks on the house and gardens. She is particularly interested in Dutch art and culture of the 16th and 17th centuries, as well as the English country house and garden.
Ashley Hern
Ashley Hern teaches at Manchester Grammar School and has degrees in Ancient and Modern History from Oxford and Manchester Universities. He has lectured on a huge range of global history topics in adult education, from the origins of Islam to Mesoamerican civilisation. Ashley is also the author of a book 1066: The Mythical Battle, which looks at how the English think about their past.
Steve Millward
Steve has been teaching music history courses since 1986. He is the author of four books, including the acclaimed Music and Politics trilogy spanning 1964-1974. He has contributed to a range of journals and in the early 2000s was the jazz correspondent of the Manchester Evening News. His broadcasting experience includes presenting Radio Manchester's weekly jazz programme and a two year spell as BBC Radio 5's 'pop pundit'.
Tim Cockitt, MA
Tim is a graduate of Oxford University. He is particularly interested in military history, and has visited numerous battlefields around Europe and the UK. Having gained early retirement from a career in computing in 2016, he has been able to devote more time to his historical interests. Tim is the chair of the Manchester Military History Society. See: http://www.mcrmilhist.org.uk/.
Christina Longden
Christina grew up in Dukinfield and became a Whitehall social housing consultant. She relocated to post-apartheid Namibia, living with the Kalahari bushmen and writing their history. After publishing two ‘northern comedy-drama’ novels, her latest two books have focused on her great x3 grandfather, ‘Hidden’ Victorian Muslim and Mayor of Stalybridge, Robert ‘Reschid’ Stanley. A founder of Past Truisms CIC, Christina is currently Writer in Residence for Kirklees 2020-21.
​
Simon Webb
Simon Webb joined Rolls-Royce in 2001 after graduating from Sheffield University with a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. He has worked in various roles with aerospace within Rolls-Royce as an engineer, including working 3 years in Berlin working on smaller engines for corporate jets. He is currently Chief of Technology & Digital, looking after new fan and compressor designs for civil aerospace.
Mike Milligan
Mike came to Sale in 1970 from Scotland and sees himself as a Glaswegian Mancunian. He was one of the Open University’s first students and from 1986 to 2020 was an Open University Tutor. Mike moved from industry into Further Education at this time – Salford, Stockport, South Trafford and Ridge Danyers. His studies were in mathematics, computing, management and arts and he also taught Social Sciences and personal finance – “jack of all trades, master of none”.
Barry Wood
Barry’s current literary interests are in modern poetry, including poetic translation, the short story and poetry and film. Since retirement, I have taught a variety of courses as part of the Mancent programme and after the award of an honorary fellowship, have kept up an association with the English & Creative Writing department of Manchester Metropolitan University. In moments of leisure, I enjoy my garden which benefits – as one of my daughters puts it – from “benign neglect”.
David Kissack
After taking a Physics degree Dave worked briefly in electronics and moved into commercial IT. He also took an MSc in Computational Physics. A keen guitarist and originally self-taught he pursued music more formally through lifelong learning including Jazz Studies and subsequently an MA in composition. After leaving IT he has delivered private teaching in maths and science and has run a series of guitar workshops. He has recently contributed to the online series of talks given by Mancent’s History Inc.
David Jones
David Jones left Glossop Grammar School at 16 looking for a career in journalism. But it took four years and jobs in a cannery and a print works laboratory before it started. At 20 David joined the Ashton Reporter Group at the Glossop Chronicle, moved to a newspaper in Hyde before returning to the Chronicle as Editor.
David states that he must have covered every possible story. Politics, crime, sport, human interest, the list is endless. In 2017 he received the 02 North West of England Stand Out media award.
Roger Hargreaves MA MSc
Roger is chair of GLAS and a director of the Heritage Trust. His academic background is geography and his primary research interest is ancient transport routes. He has lived in Hadfield for 45 years. He has recently authored three series on Facebook for the Trust – Glossop’s Lost Mills; The Duke’s Legacy; & Melandra – Glossop’s Forgotten Port
Frances Pritchard
Frances Pritchard worked in the archaeology department of the Museum of London for sixteen years followed by twenty-three years as Curator (Textiles) at the Whitworth Art Gallery, The University of Manchester, where she is now an Honorary Research Fellow. Among the exhibitions that she curated were Fortuny Fabrics, Central Asian Embroideries, Reflecting Japan, Revolutionary Textiles 1910-1939 and Clothing Culture: Dress in Egypt in the First Millennium AD. She has also published extensively on excavated textiles from London, Dublin and Egypt.
Frank Pleszak
Formerly a WHO pest control expert and IT consultant, Frank Pleszak is a beekeeper, author and blogger, specializing in Polish history, aviation, and the local history around his home in the foothills of the Peak District. He is a regular contributor to many local history societies, has published several books and has had magazine articles published online and in magazines, as diverse as The Great War magazine and Derbyshire Life.
Rosemary Broadbent MA (Oxon), ARCO, ARCM
Rosemary read Music at Oxford University, where she also studied the organ with David Lumsden. She was Head of Music in a girls’ independent school for over twenty years. Since 2001 she has been an Academic Tutor for the Junior RNCM, teaching analysis, composition and aural training. She has worked as a composer and choral director, and is a Practical Examiner for ABRSM. She gives regular music talks to a number of local groups.
Georgina Gregory
Georgina Gregory teaches media, film and popular culture. Her research interests are wide ranging and include popular music and identity, gender and theories of popular culture. She has taught at a number of universities including Liverpool, Salford, Staffordshire and University of Central Lancashire. Recent publications include Send in the Clones: a Cultural Study of the Tribute Band (2012) Boy Bands and the Performance of Pop Masculinity (2019) and Exploring the Spiritual in Popular Music (2021).
.jpg)
Tim Mottershead
Tim has lectured in music at a number of Colleges in the North West and now continues to each piano and is also a tutor in Indian Music in Manchester. He has a long list of publications, including contributions to the modern music magazine Tempo.
He has been involved in every conceivable musical genre from Iraqi Oud music to Gamelan. A composer of more than 150 works and accompanist to the Let’s Sing Choirs in Glossop and Greater Manchester, Tim has also undertaken numerous musical workshops, including the 50th anniversaries of various Beatles albums. His engagements have included the Bridgewater Hall, The Lowry, Bolsover Castle and the Imperial War Museum.
Michael Tunnicliffe
Michael studied at Birmingham and Cambridge Universities. He is a freelance tutor in the North West and has taught for a variety of providers, including Liverpool and Oxford Universities. His teaching is in the area of religious studies and history in general, but with a particular interest in the Middle East.
Dave Toft
Dave Toft was born in Lower Broughton, Salford in the 1950s. He first walked on Kinder Scout with his youth club at 12 years old and has continued to do so at least once a year, despite heading south to university and living in the East End of London for many years.
He has lived in Hayfield since 1996 and is Chair of the Hayfield Kinder Trespass Group. He has written several articles about access and the Kinder Trespass and has worked with Leicester University’s Geography dept. and Loughborough University School of Architecture, on issues regarding land use and access. Dave has also taken part in several symposiums on threats to open space access – urban and rural, and the most effective ways to campaign against those threats. In addition, he has also published political poems and a political novel, Still Point (published as D.E. Toft)
Nick Birch
Nick Birch was born in Birmingham, received BSc (London) and PhD from the University of Sheffield working in the Medical Research Council Unit studying bipolar disorders. For ten years he studied biochemical aspects of psychiatry in the University of Leeds. He became Reader (subsequently Professor, Emeritus Professor) in the University of Wolverhampton establishing the Biomedical Research Laboratory and collaborating with a range of medical and psychiatric Consultants. His main interest is in psychoactive drugs, continued after university retirement as an Expert Witness in more than 1000 Criminal and Civil cases.
Andrew Russell
Andrew Russell is Professor of Politics at the University of Liverpool. He has previously been Head of the Politics Departments at Liverpool and at the University of Manchester. He writes extensively about British politics and the politically marginalised. His last two books are on the Liberal Democrats From Hope to Despair to Where? published in November 2023 and The Politics of Unbelonging, a study of European Roma set to be published in 2024.
He is an established media commentator on all aspects of UK politics but has been particularly well known for election analysis on TV and Radio. In 2005 he served on the Electoral Commission’s inquiry into the age of majority which reduced the age at which candidates could stand in elections but kept the minimum voting age at 18 for UK elections.
Would you like to lecture at Glossop Guild?
If you have experience as a lecturer or are an expert in a specialist subject and think you could help the Guild please get in touch with us.