History Get Together Group

Portland Basin Museum is housed within the restored nineteenth century Ashton Canal Warehouse in Ashton-under-Lyne. The museum combines a lively modern interior with a peaceful canal side setting.

Enjoy their Nine Towns of Tameside temporary exhibition, and step back in time on the 1920s street, as the sights and sounds of bygone Tameside are brought to life. Take a look into the kitchen and parlour to find out how we used to live. Visitors can explore the area's industrial heritage and discover what life was like down the mines, or on the farm. Find out more about local crafts and industries and marvel at the historic machines.

There should be a canal boat tour running outside the museum, so we will go on that too (optional, of course). The museum is free, as is their car park. The canal boat ride has a charge (not sure what yet).

We will meet in the museum's cafe at 11am and have a look round shortly afterwards. We will break for lunch at some point, and go on the canal boat ride whenever it runs.

A mill complex which is now a center for independent businesses and art workshops, on June 7th they are celebrating 100 years since their building was inaugurated.

There will be a Centenary Makers Market, an impressive heritage center which tells the story of the mill and the town of Leigh, and a highlight being the engine room with two great engines and an enormous wheel which powered the factory. The mill is also the home of the North West Computer Museum, a unique trip through the history of the home and business computers and consoles we all grew up with. There will likely be even more to see and do as more news becomes available about the event.

We will meet at 11am in the Heritage Centre reception where you can get tea, coffee and refreshments. Then we'll look around the Heritage Centre and go on to explore the rest of the mill, breaking for lunch at the onsite cafe and continuing afterwards. I think the event will be free to enter, I'll update this when I'm sure. The Heritage Centre is free. The North West Computer Museum is £7 entry.

Explore the industrial heritage of Greater Manchester at Ellenroad Engine House. Located in Newhey, Rochdale, this historic site offers a captivating journey back in time to the heyday of steam power. Originally built in 1892, Ellenroad Engine House is home to one of the largest surviving steam engines in the world, providing a fascinating glimpse into the region's industrial past.

Visitors can marvel at the impressive machinery, learn about the engine's pivotal role in the local textile industry, and discover the ingenuity of Victorian engineering. Guided tours offer insight into the workings of the engine and the daily life of the workers who operated it.

In addition to the engine itself, the site features a range of exhibits and displays showcasing the history of steam power.

Their August 3rd steaming event will also showcase a range of military vehicles and an exhibition by Rochdale Photographic Society.

We will meet up around 11:10am (ten minutes after the museum opens) at the site's engine house cafe. Then we'll have a look around. The museum is £7 entry, with a free car park.