Avro Heritage Museum

Posted on: August 22nd, 2022 by mlpEditor

We are lucky to get the chance to have a fascinating glimpse of the history of some iconic aeroplanes at the Avro Heritage Museum, Woodford.

Avro (founder A. V. Roe) created many of the ground-breaking and iconic aeroplanes of the 20th Century, which were built on the site. Several of the cockpits have been restored, and the museum houses many fascinating exhibits detailing the history of the planes and the venue.

A guided tour has been arranged of the exhibition hall, followed by 2 x 15-minute cockpit tours of the Vulcan and the Lancaster.

Good to know:

  • Tea/coffee will be available afterwards.
  • Parking is available at the venue.
  • The tour is due to start at 2 pm so it is recommended that you arrive between 1.30 – 1.50 pm to ensure you find suitable parking.
  • Please advise if you have mobility requirements, hearing, mobility or vision impairment. There is no wheelchair access to the cockpits but there are interactive screens available for both jets.
  • The cost of the ticket covers the guided tour.

 

One of our members Richard Lees has kindly offered to host a social before and/or after the AVRO Heritage Museum at one of his pubs nearby. Suitably named ‘The Aviator’, it is just a 15-minute walk from the museum and boasts many award-winning ales, craft beers and great food!

We have the option of having a meal there around 12.30 pm and/or having some drinks there after the tour.

If you’re interested, please RSVP by emailing events@manlitphil.ac.uk.

Is there such a thing as physicalism?

Posted on: August 15th, 2022 by mlpEditor

Physicalism is the theory that all phenomena are fundamentally physical in origin.

It argues that anything, from thoughts and feelings to the Aurora Borealis, has a natural and physical explanation whether we as humans understand it yet or not.

During this meeting of the Lit & Phil’s Philosophy Forum, we will explore this theory and its implications, in an accessible and friendly way. Attendees will then be encouraged to investigate and share their thoughts with the group.

A celebration of the music of Christmas

Posted on: July 13th, 2022 by mlpAdmin

The Figgy Pudding Collective present their cornucopia of classical and modern music, poetry, readings and general festive cheer.

They perform to a loyal and appreciative audience each year at Bramall Hall, Stockport. And also do the occasional ‘tour’ year to include other venues across the North of England.

They are delighted to bring a specially tailored performance to the Manchester Lit and Phil this Christmas.

The programme will be an exploration of the diversity of music that Christmas offers us. Vocal and piano solos, duets and trios, ranging from early 16th century carols through to well-known Christmas gems. From the likes of Mozart and Purcell and into twentieth-century American sparkle.

All this is woven through with original Christmas poems and readings created by actor and author Kate Millward.

Expect to find food, drink & mince pies!

Global Citizen: reporting for duty

Posted on: July 13th, 2022 by mlpAdmin

What role will today’s and tomorrow’s innovators play in helping us survive and thrive?

The global climate crisis. Famine and drought. Population growth. The battle for diminishing resources. These are no longer visions of some future nightmare. We are facing these challenges today.

Scientists have modelled where we are heading and it doesn’t look good. Protesters have taken to the streets. International targets have been agreed and Governments have laid out their plans.

But will they be enough? Pandemics and conflicts soon knock us off course; deadlines are missed and targets slip. So what can we do to protect our future, deal with today’s issues and learn to live with the extra challenges that are coming down the line?

Our world is evolving quickly. Engineering and Technology are right at the heart of the huge transformation we are experiencing. A career in STEM is becoming more than a career. It is a way of life – a consistent source of boundless creativity.

Yewande Akinola will share her discovery of the roles Innovative Engineering and Technology play in bringing progress and true Sustainability to our world. From the development of our built environment to more specific and intentional problem-solving.

This is a hybrid event, that can be attended in person or watched live online.

Symbolism in art

Posted on: July 13th, 2022 by mlpAdmin

What can the paintings in Manchester Art Gallery’s collection tell us about the history and development of ‘Symbolism’?

Art historians tell us that it was the 1880s that witnessed the inception of ‘Symbolism’ as a movement. But more than a generation before this, the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood startled and outraged sensibilities with its depiction of strange and unsettling parallel worlds, bejewelled with luminous colours. Its rebellious spirit sought to awaken moral, spiritual and religious reflection through the deployment of mysterious signs and symbols. And yet even this tendency had its antecedents, most especially in the entertaining genre paintings and eerie still lifes of the Dutch Golden Age.

Guide John Ward will be leading us through Manchester Art Gallery, on a quest for the finest examples of a fascinating visual language.

Good to know: We will meet in the entrance of the gallery. The tour will start promptly at 2.00pm, so please arrive in good time.

Double Dutch ‘Still Life’

Posted on: July 13th, 2022 by mlpAdmin

The detailed realism of Dutch still life paintings is compelling. But is there more to Dutch art than meets the eye?

Merchants of the Dutch Golden Age filled their townhouses with paintings. But these upright Calvinist citizens rejected biblical subjects and Baroque melodrama. Their favourite themes were found closer to home.

Still lifes of this period reflect the prosperity and self-esteem of the new Republic. Banketje (banquets) and ontbijtjes (breakfasts) appear to celebrate an abundance of both local and imported foodstuffs. But could the platter of oysters or kraakware bowl of blemished fruit instead warn of the dangers of gluttony and pleasures of the flesh?

Vanitas, ‘pronkstilleven’ and ‘blompots’ display collections of books and instruments, luxury goods and vases overflowing with exotic flowers. But if we look closely, the pocket watch, fading bloom or human skull, might hint that consciences are troubled by such ostentation.

Life is fragile and worldly beauty is fleeting. Join Lynne Gibson to explore the secret symbolic language of still life paintings.

Manchester Voices

Posted on: July 13th, 2022 by mlpAdmin

Dr Rob Drummond explores the accents, dialects and identities of Greater Manchester.

Dr Rob Drummond is the man behind ‘Manchester Voices’, the largest sociolinguistics project to examine the spoken language of Greater Manchester.

His talk tackles intriguing questions such as: Does the way we speak relate to who we are? How different are accents and dialects across Greater Manchester? Do our voices suggest older loyalties to Lancashire and Cheshire? He’ll also explain why understanding how language works is valuable to everyone.

Rob’s research team used online research and Geographic Information System software to examine archive recordings of local people born around 1900. At the same time, they collected and investigated current linguistic data in the Accent Van, their mobile recording booth.

The findings reveal a deep, complex relationship between spoken language and a sense of identity. They offer new insights into how acutely aware many people are of how they use language. And they show that accent diversity is alive and well across the region. Although sadly, some cherished dialect terms are beginning to fade.

Rob’s research was funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Between God and Atheism: a live debate

Posted on: July 13th, 2022 by mlpAdmin

If you don’t believe in the God of the Bible or the Quran, then you must think we live in a meaningless universe, right?

People get stuck in dichotomies of thought. If you don’t like Soviet Communism, then you must be in favour of US-style capitalism. Well, not if there are political opinions other than those two (which of course there are).

Another dichotomy is between traditional religion and atheism. Whose team are you on, Richard Dawkins’ or the Pope’s?

In reality, a significant number of people consider themselves ‘spiritual but not religious’. These people find themselves somewhere between Dawkins and the Pope. Somewhere between God and atheism.

Philosopher Philip Goff is currently working on a book which argues for a surprising combination of views: God does not exist and yet there is a purpose to the universe. In this live discussion, Philip Goff and Jack Symes will debate the credibility and implications of such a view. Is it reasonable to claim that “God does not exist” and can we make use of cosmic purpose in the absence of God?

The event will be in the form of a debate, and contributions from the audience will be encouraged.

The Northern Powerhouse: where are we now?

Posted on: July 13th, 2022 by mlpAdmin

The Northern Powerhouse launched over a decade ago, to boost northern economic growth and to rebalance the UK economy. But where are we now?

The government doesn’t talk much about the Northern Powerhouse now, preferring the broader ‘levelling-up’ concept.  But the challenges, and the opportunities, remain. We can’t recreate the old industries. We have to somehow re-invent and re-invigorate areas that have suffered long term economic decline. And it’s not going to be easy.

From here in Manchester, reaching out to Liverpool in the West and Leeds and Sheffield in the East, we have a population of about 8 million.  This is not too dissimilar to London. Could this area become an integrated single market for producers and consumers, with spin-off benefits for the whole of the North?

Lord Jim O’Neill is one of the Northern Powerhouse’s original architects and a major contributor to its early successes. He names six individual challenges that have to be solved: education; skills; devolution; business connectivity; transport; and technology infrastructure.  And he is clear that all six will need to be solved if the Powerhouse objectives are to be achieved. So, is the government serious?

Lord Jim is a free spirit now and pulls no punches.

Pandemic resilience: how to control a virus

Posted on: July 13th, 2022 by mlpAdmin

What role does the environment play in the transmission of respiratory diseases? And how do our interactions in indoor spaces determine the risk of infection?

COVID-19 has presented us with the most difficult healthcare and societal challenge we have faced in living memory. As a new disease, we have had to rapidly build the knowledge base on every aspect of the virus.  To understand the mechanisms of transmission we have had to draw on experiences with other respiratory viruses. And the growing evidence based on the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Understanding the routes of transmission is challenging. But modelling of aerosols, droplets and indoor airflows can play an important role in identifying mechanisms.

Catherine Noakes’ talk outlines some of the approaches used to understand mechanisms for transference and the effectiveness of mitigation strategies.  She will highlight some of the scientific understanding and how that has changed as we learned more about the disease.

How is scientific advice used to support policymakers and public messaging? And what are the challenges and complexities in this process?

This is a hybrid event, that can be attended in person or watched live online.

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