Local History Section
This has been an important part of the Society’s interests and activities since it first started over 60 years ago. During the winter months we arrange a regular series of meetings on historical themes. These include opportunities for members to present short accounts of any personal projects or interests.
We also welcome non-members for a small charge and try to advertise details of our meetings as widely as possible. The Society is a member of the Lancashire Federation of Local History and also the Historical Society of Lancashire and Cheshire. The Society has been working on the history of Formby since it was established in the 1950s. During that time it has built up a considerable archive consisting of maps, photographs and documents together with a useful local history library. Much of this archive has been ‘digitised’ and some is accessible from our website. We hope to increase this in line with the national digital ‘Access 2 Archives’ scheme.
Using these resources past and present members have written and published some important historical studies. These include ‘Viking Village‘. (Edith Kelly, 1973) and ‘Britain’s First Life Boat Station‘, (B and R. Yorke, 1982). Other publications include ‘Formby & Freshfield through Time‘ (published by Amberley Publishing, 2009), ‘Formby, Freshfield and Altcar‘ (in the Images of England Series, published by Tempus in 1999, and a ‘Town-Trail’ type leaflet, ‘Discovering Formby’.
‘Formby, Then and Now‘ published by the History Press, 2012, ISBN 978 0 7524 7155 6. (On sale at local bookshops or online) entirely based on Formby Civic Society archives, edited by Reg and Barbara Yorke, with photographic assistance from Tony Bonney. This book is hard-back with full-colour throughout and contains much new information about the history of Formby
