History era's final session

After thirteen years of lecturing on Mediaeval history, local historian Roger Wickson, an Audlem resident, delivered his final Monday morning session yesterday at Nantwich Library.

An enthusiastic group of around twenty students, almost half of them from Audlem, has been attending his talks over the years while some, it was learnt yesterday, had followed him through all his courses.

Those have included the Mediaeval Church; the Crusades; Pope Innocent III; the Anglo-Norman Realm and this year, commemorating its 800th Anniversary, Magna Carta.

The courses have been run under the auspices of Keele University's Centre for Continuing and Professional Education and took place on Monday mornings, sometimes covering two terms (and about twenty or more weeks of study) or, as this year, a twelve week course of one term.

Those that may want to hear Roger speak will have an opportunity this Saturday as the Audlem History Society has arranged a talk on Magna Carta during the Audlem Festival.

This talk will be at 11.00am on 23rd May in St. James Church with Roger Wickson and Rev. John Whitehead, who has attended Roger's recent courses, as the speakers.

Roger is also working hard at present checking the proofs and working on the index of his new book that he completed last year. More on this on AudlemOnline nearer to its publication date.

Reading his new book will do much to keep his students over the past thirteen years in touch with Roger's scholarship although it is unlikely a work of serious history will include the many engaging excursions into cricket, memories of his work as a schoolmaster and then headmaster, and insightful critiques of the presentational skills of a variety of TV historians.

His students presented him with a book token yesterday and thanked him warmly for all his work running the courses and providing such comprehensive notes every week.

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