Alright our kid?
Hello — I’m Dean Kirby, an award-winning journalist, urban historian, genealogist and tour guide exploring and writing about the history of Manchester, my home city.
What is the Manchester History Club?
Manchester History Club a newsletter and a community of subscribers where we’ll discuss the city’s history — starting with the districts of Angel Meadow, Ancoats and the Northern Quarter which I know best. In time, we’ll also explore other parts of the city.
Why I started this newsletter
I’ve been fascinated by the history of Manchester after growing up listening to my dad’s stories about a city which has been our family’s home for generations.
A few years ago archaeologists dug up our ancestor’s house in one of Manchester’s worst Victorian slums, Angel Meadow. It sparked a deepening interest in me that has led me to write a bestselling book and do a PhD on the history of the area.
In 2023, approaching 50, I left behind a 25 year career in journalism to follow my passion for writing about and sharing the history of Manchester to help keep alive the stories of the people who built the city.
I now lead walking tours of Angel Meadow with a unique family history element to them and I’ve also set up a family history research service to help other people research their Mancunian ancestors, as well as writing this newsletter.
Why subscribe for free?
If you sign up, you’ll never miss an update as my newsletter will drop straight into your email inbox each time I publish it. You’ll be joining 1,700 readers in Manchester and around the world who have already joined. 🚶🏻♂️🚶🏻♀️🚶🏽
You can sign up for free using this link or the button below and you can unsubscribe at any time. In April 2025, I was really thrilled to be told by the good people at Substack, which hosts my newsletter, that I was in the top 20 rising history newsletters on the entire platform.
In each newsletter, you’ll hear a story about Manchester’s history that I’ve researched and written. It could be about a person, an incident or a broader aspect of life for working people. As a free subscriber, you can post comments and suggestions. From time to time, you’ll also hear about offers and events.
Below, you’ll find links to some of my recent stories, including a discussion about why people in Manchester call the midday meal dinner and recipe for my nan’s ‘tatter ash’.
Why are some some of my stories paywalled?
I know that nobody likes to get half way through a story and find they can’t read further to finish it, so the vast majority of my writing is free to read when it lands in your email inbox.
At the same time, paid subscribers help me, as a freelance writer, to keep this work sustainable and without them I just couldn’t afford the time to keep writing the newsletter.
If you do decide to pay to subscribe you will be helping the Manchester History Club to survive and grow so it can be enjoyed by more people in Manchester and with family connections to the city. 🪴
What if you pay to subscribe?
Becoming a fully fledged member of the Manchester History Club for less than the price of a coffee each month gives you:
🔑 Bonus access to my full archive of stories and occasional, exclusive paid-for posts about researching Manchester family history.
📕 As an extra thank you, you’ll also get a code for a 25 percent discount on my Angel Meadow book when you buy through the publisher’s website.
🙏🏼 Most importantly, as a paid subscriber, you will be helping to support me as a freelance writer and ensure that I can keep this newsletter going.
☕ If you don’t feel able to pay to subscribe, then please consider buying me a coffee through my Buy Me A Coffee page.
My passion for Manchester history has led me to try to make a career of writing about it and and your support really will help me to keep the newsletter alive.
What’s next?
All you need to do is subscribe and start reading. As a subscriber you will receive the newsletter in your email inbox and, if you want to, you can also read it on the Substack website or in the Substack app. If all that sounds interesting, then please take a look at the various subscription options by clicking this button.
I’m looking forward to saying hello and sharing the story of my home city with you.
'People think it always rains in Manchester. Not true, though I admit it's the only town in the country with a lifeboat drill on the bus routes.' - Les Dawson
