Thermodynamics the Salford Way by Simon Ward

I had decided to write this article on very much a local pioneer of physics and thermodynamics, I had missed that Joule lived in Manchester and Salford until another Ragged University member pointed it out. I wish to thank Connor for this useful piece of crowd sourcing when we were discussing this outside Gulliver’s.
James Prescott Joule was born in Salford on Christmas Eve 1818 to a brewing family. He studied mathematics under John Dalton who was a pioneer with the periodic table and atomic theory. As a child he was fascinated by electricity and he and his brothers would give each other electric shocks, and also to unsuspecting servants. He would also fly kites in thunderstorms to try and “capture electricity”, but eventually decided this was too dangerous. This expanded into experiments with electricity and magnetism in the cellar of the family home in Pendlebury. Read more…

15th Oct 2015: Thermodynamics; The Laws the History and How it Shaped Cottonopolis by Simon Ward

Come along to The Castle Hotel at 7pm to listen to Simon’s talk. Share a crust of bread, and learn what he has to share…

Title of talk:

Thermodynamics- the laws the history and how it shaped Cottonopolis.

Bullet points of what you would like to talk about:

Basic definitions
The four laws of thermodynamics
Open, closed & isolated systems with heat engines
Steam engines in Cottonopolis
The history of thermodynamics
The branches of thermodynamics
Demonstrations of thermodynamics

Podcast: The Ragged Schools of Angel Meadows by Simon Ward

This is a podcast of when Simon Ward gave a talk on the Ragged Schools of Angel Meadows and Manchester. In the early 1800s, state contribution to education was less than the amount the government spent on the King’s stables. This talk will look at how The Ragged School movement led to the 1870 Education Act and state funding of universal education.
This is a podcast of Simon Ward talking at the Ragged University where he takes a closer look at two of Manchester’s Ragged Schools. Their fascinating history takes us from basket weaving, badminton and bombs to Suffragettes and Coronation Street. Read more…

16th Oct 2014: The Ragged Schools of Angel Meadow by Simon Ward

Come along to The Castle Hotel at 7pm to listen to Simon’s talk. Share a crust of bread, and hear the reflections he has to share…

Title of talk:

The Ragged Schools of Angel Meadow

Bullet points of what you would like to talk about:

Brief outline of Ragged School movement
Brief overview of Angel Meadow history
Sharp Street Ragged School – from basket weaving to Coronation Street
Chartered Street Ragged School (previously Angel Meadow Ragged School)
Quick look at other Manchester Ragged Schools – link to suffragette movement “it is a great mistake to suppose domestic duties were limited to girls and women, every boy in Manchester should be taught to darn his own socks and cook his own chips”
Discussion