HISTORY buffs are in for a treat because a heritage conference is coming to Trowbridge to commemorate the centenary of the first British women getting the vote and universal suffrage for men.
With the Trowbridge Museum closing in June as part of a £2.4m expansion, the Friends of Trowbridge Museum took up the reins to organise this event, which takes place on October 6.
However for this to be a success, just as a special conference that explored Trowbridge’s Magna Carta links was in 2015, a venue had to be found to host it all.
And at Tuesday’s policy and resources meeting, Trowbridge Town Council agreed to offer the Civic Centre’s Lansdown Hall, free of charge, by four votes to three.
“I am so grateful to the town council for making this possible and allowing us to use this excellent venue, just as we did three years ago for the 800th anniversary of the Magna Carta,” said chairman of Friends of Trowbridge Museum, Andy Milroy.
“It is important that we have struck up this partnership with the town council so that we can deliver a memorable event, as we did last time.
“Although it is more than nine months off, I am already very excited about putting this on. Trowbridge is like an onion, it has layers upon layers of history.
“We have lecturer Andrew Pickering, professor Steve Poole, author Lucienne Boyce and historians Rosemary Hawkes and Thomas Helliker - it should be a real treat.”
In 1918 the Representation of the People Act extended the vote to all men over 21, and to some groups of women over 30 but it was only until 1928 when women were finally granted the vote on equal terms to men.
At the meeting, councillors argued about whether or not this would set a precedent over anyone using the venue for free.
Cllr Steve Oldrieve said: “I went to the event two years ago and I thought it was a fantastic event. A lot of people travelled a long way and many others had never been to Trowbridge. So for me, letting them use it for free is a no brainer.”
Cllr Geoff Whiffen said: “We have to be careful that this is a one off as everyone may ask to use it for free.”
For more information about the event email
AndyMilroy@blueyonder.co.uk
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