Sue Cook and the team answer listeners' historical queries and celebrate the way in which we all 'make' history.
Series 11
Programme 1
19 April 2005
Alfred Mangena
Hazel Wachters listens to the ±«Óãtv from her home in the Netherlands. She contacted Making History with the story of how she found out that she was the granddaughter of the first black lawyer in South Africa and founding father of the African National Congress - Alfred Mangena. Hazel wanted to know more about Mangena's early years.
Making History consulted Professor Christopher Saunders from the University of Cape Town. Professor Saunders is the co-editor of the Historical Dictionary of South Africa.
Local History Heroes
Making History wants you to nominate your Local History Heroes, to celebrate the work of individuals throughout the UK who do so much to add to our understanding of history. It could be someone with a photographic collection, or a passionate village historian, maybe someone who's helped to save an important building.ÌýContact the programme and we'll tell the rest of the world about your Local History Hero.
This week's programme featured the Lowestoft fishing industry and an oral history archive compiled by retired English teacher David Butcher. Since the late 1970s David has recorded over 100 hours of tape recordings with local fishermen and these can be accessed at the Lowestoft Record Office in the town library.
Indian Partition
Making History listener Lak Haney was only six years old when his family had to flee their home near the Indus river in the Indian subcontinent. Overnight on 15 August 1947 India had been divided and a new country, Pakistan, created. Lak was just one of millions who were caught up in the violent aftermath of Partition and he asked Making History to find out who drew up the new national boundaries and what their criteria were.
Lovejit Dhaliwal's report featured audio material from an oral history archive at the School for Oriental and African Studies at the University of London.
Big Pit Coal Mining Museum
The Gulbenkian Museum of the Year will be announced in May. Making History has asked listeners living close to the four finalists to tell us why their local museum should win.
This week Dilly Barlow heard the claims of three sisters living near the Big Pit mining museum at Blaenafon in South Wales.
Vanessa has presentedÌýscience and current affairs programmes for ±«Óãtv, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Discovery and has presented for ±«Óãtv Radio 4 & Five Live and a regular contributor to the Daily Telegraph and the Mail on Sunday, Scotsman and Sunday Herald.Ìý
Contact Making History
Send your comments and questions for future programmes to:
Making History
±«Óãtv Radio 4
PO Box 3096 Brighton
BN1 1PL
Vanessa has presentedÌýscience and current affairs programmes for ±«Óãtv, ITV, Channel 4, Channel 5 and Discovery and has presented for ±«Óãtv Radio 4 & Five Live and a regular contributor to the Daily Telegraph and the Mail on Sunday, Scotsman and Sunday Herald.Ìý