Location : WCML
Start date : 10th January 2012
End date : 30th March 2012
The Clarion - a paper, a movement, a way of life
10 January-30 March 2012, Wednesdays to Fridays 1pm to 5pm, free admission. The exhibition will close on Friday 30 March at 1pm.
This exhibition, which takes the form of a giant scrapbook, displays the Library's extensive collection of Clarion material and tells the story of how a newspaper came to inspire a way of life.
Little did Robert Blatchford know when he started the socialist newspaper The Clarion in the 1890s that it would inspire its readers to set up a whole range of activities for working people, from Clarion cycling and rambling clubs to choirs and bands. The Library's Clarion exhibition brings together materials produced by ‘Clarionettes' for their fellows, including books, sports trophies and memorabilia, newspapers, and programmes for musical events. Browse the Bolton Clarion Scrapbook, dating from 1898, "turning the pages" using an electronic flipbook alongside the fragile original book. Sit on one of the original chairs from Market Street's Clarion Café!
This exhibition is presented as part of the 2012 Manchester Histories Festival. 
Free events taking place alongside the exhibition include:
Saturday 17 March 2pm
Performance by Bolton Clarion Choir. The choir sings songs of celebration and protest to support people and organisations concerned with democratic change, human rights, peace and environmental issues.
In addition Denis Pye, author of Fellowship is life: the National Clarion Cycling Club, 1895-1995, will speak about the Clarion movement and about some of the exhibition highlights.
Wednesday 28 March 2pm
Deborah Mutch, Senior Lecturer in English at De Montfort University, Leicester will talk on Robert Blatchford's journey to socialism, starting with the founding of the Clarion and then focusing on the literature that made The Clarion famous.
And click here for details of a special cycling event on Sunday 26 February
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