Something that makes SUES particularly special is our series of courses. This year we are offering five courses; these vary in length between five and nine sessions. Sessions are on Mondays (except where indicated) from 10:30 am to 12:30 pm at All Saints Church Hall.
The course fee is based on the number of sessions and ranges from £25 for a five-session course to £45 for a nine-session course. Refreshments (tea/coffee/biscuits) are included in the fee.
No prior knowledge of the topic is required and the sessions are informal, with the opportunity for questions, discussion and contributions. Lecturers make extensive use of illustrations, using PowerPoint and digital technology.
How to Enrol
SUES Members may enrol on a course at any time up to seven days before the first lecture. Please complete the Registration Form for Courses, indicating which courses you wish to attend, and how you wish to pay. Bank transfer is our preferred method of payment as it does not incur bank charges. If you are unable to use bank transfer, SUES can accept payment by cheque. Please do not send cash.
If you wish to pay by cheque, or if you have any difficulties or questions about enrolment on a course, please contact the Membership Secretary, whose details are on the Contacts Page.
Course 1: Southport and the University Extension Movement – Peter Firth
16, 23, 30 September; 7 October 2024. Course Fee: Free to all (non-members welcome).
The present-day Southport University Extension Society (SUES) has evolved from a mid-nineteenth-century social movement. It was set up by Southport and Birkdale residents in conjunction with Cambridge University, specifically for those members of society who were excluded because of gender – predominantly middle-class women – together with working-class men, seeking to better themselves. Both groups sought access to university-standard education courses. The late nineteenth century saw a blossoming of many other locally run University Extension Societies across the country.
Over the course of time, as university entry became open to everyone, the need for such Societies diminished. This resulted in many of them merging into the expanding field of twentieth century Adult Education, often absorbed into local universities, whilst others simply closed. Today, SUES is the sole survivor of this movement, very different in character from its early days but, nonetheless, still providing high quality learning opportunities.
The Society was actually founded in 1986. However, UES courses had already been available in Southport since 1874 and this longevity had been recorded in histories of the Society for both its 80th and 100th anniversaries. This four-week course will cover both the University Extension Movement itself, with a specific focus on its Society in Southport, as SUES goes on to celebrate its 150th anniversary in October.
We are proud of the pioneering role that Southport played in this movement. Using archive material from various sources, the story can be told in more detail than ever before and the personalities of some of the early organisers can be revealed. We hope that a visit to our special exhibition at The Atkinson in August will stimulate your interest and encourage you to enrol.
Peter Firth is Treasurer of SUES and has a particular interest in mediaeval history, the subject of his doctorate. He has given many courses for SUES but this is his first venture into more recent history. Along with Mary Ormsby, who will also be involved in the course, he has done extensive research on the history of SUES.
Course 2: An Artistic Journey through Mediaeval and Renaissance Europe – Ed Montana Williams
14, 21, 28 October; 4, 11, 18, 25 November; 2, 9 December 2024. Course Fee: £45.
Beginning with the ‘Fall of Rome’ in the 5th century and ending with the ‘Sack of Rome’ in 1527, we will journey across almost a millennium of art history, reassessing the works produced in early medieval Europe during the so-called ‘Dark Ages’. We will examine how the Church, as a patron of the arts, was instrumental in creating some of the most enduring painted and sculpted works. We conclude by considering what the Renaissance actually meant in terms of artistic production, not only in Italy, but in other European centres and how our perception of what constitutes Renaissance art is influenced by what writers of the period believed.
Sessions will encourage debate from participants with the aim of creating a stimulating and enjoyable series of talks. Sometime in the second half of the course, we hope to arrange a visit to the Walker Art Gallery in Liverpool so that Ed can introduce us to real masterpieces from the remarkable collection housed there.
Ed Montana Williams is an Oxford-educated art historian and is passionate about sharing his love of the History of Art to a range of audiences. Ed, who gave a very successful lecture to SUES last year, is an Arts Society lecturer and regularly speaks to specialist interest groups as well as U3A and WI groups. He works at Tate Liverpool, delivering tours and talks and also teaches History of Art at the University of Liverpool’s Department of Continuing Education. He is a member of the International Association of Art Critics and has been published in several journals and online publications.
Course 3: What could possibly go wrong? A User’s Guide to Pathology – Tim Helliwell
6, 13, 20, 27 January; 3 February 2025. Course Fee: £25.
Welcome to the wonderful world of pathology! Pathology is regarded as the ‘science behind the cure’, without which much of modern medical practice would be impossible. This is an introductory course intended to explain how to recognise a pathologist, what pathologists do, and what goes on behind the doors of pathology laboratories. No previous knowledge is necessary, just a curiosity to explore the science behind the headlines, e.g. “The King has cancer”. We will explore some of the basic mechanisms underlying health and disease, illuminated by a scattering of Nobel prize winners and notable people who gave their names to, or succumbed to, particular diseases. The course content will include inflammation and infection, heart disease and stroke, cancer and musculoskeletal diseases. The NHS encourages everyone to take an active interest in their health and, through the NHS app, to be more involved in recognising ill health. By the end of the course, you will understand simple pathology reports and know where to find additional, reliable information.
SUES member Tim Helliwell is now happily retired and was formerly Consultant Histopathologist and Honorary Professor of Pathology at the University of Liverpool. He has been involved in undergraduate and postgraduate medical education, locally, nationally and internationally. He has eclectic research interests and major interests in quality assurance of laboratories and in standards of pathology through national and international practice guidelines.
Course 4: The Reign of Charles I – Roger Mitchell
10, 17, 24 February; 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 March 2025. Course Fee: £40.
2025 marks the 400th Anniversary of the accession of King Charles I. His reign came to a violent end 24 years later when he was put on trial, found guilty and executed publicly in Whitehall. The second quarter of the 17th century is one of the most dramatic and controversial periods in English and British history. There was certainly a Civil War, but there was also an Eleven Years Tyranny, or did Charles qualify as a martyr? We will explore the politics of the reign, and its social, political and military history, but also the art and the architecture, with starring roles for Anthony Van Dyck and Inigo Jones.
Roger has been giving courses at All Saints for more than 20 years, first for the University of Liverpool’s Continuing Education and, more recently, for SUES. He was previously Vice Principal at King George V College, Southport, before becoming a lecturer for Ther Arts Society which took him to every county in England, as well as lectures in Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Europe, Australia and New Zealand. Roger lives in Aughton and is Secretary of SUES.
Course 5 – The Science of Plants – Alan Potter
19, 22 (Thurs) May; 2, 5 (Thurs), 9, 16 June 2025. Course Fee £30.
Our world is significantly enhanced by the extraordinary diversity of the plant life with which we share our planet. Every part of a plant has been especially designed to thrive, and sections on roots, stems and branches, leaves, flowers and seeds will illustrate their resilience, whether associated with tiny lichens, mosses and ferns or the vibrant blooms and stately palms evident across the entire world.
Using up-to-date research, illustrations and images, this course invites you on an amazing journey to explore the plant kingdom, the workings of a wide range of plants and how they benefit humankind, even down to breathing life into our lungs. Common species will be used to explain the everyday life of plants, while many significant and unusual plants will be showcased to highlight the wondrous nature of plant life and the mysterious inner workings of the plant world.
Alan Potter has been involved in learning throughout his career, first in schools, then with local authorities and now his own business, www.longlifelearning.co.uk. On early retirement, he researched into learning in later life and recently published his first book, Quality Learning for Positive Ageing. This journey brought him to SUES, first as a member and currently as Chair, where he enjoys the programmes on offer and contributes, using his science background. His other interests include playing the piano, watching rugby league and writing poetry, with lichenology being a particular passion.