The Alan Ball Local History Awards in the

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

exist to recognise outstanding contributions in

local history Local history is the study of history in a geographically local context, often concentrating on a relatively small local community. It incorporates cultural and social aspects of history. Local history is not merely national history writ small bu ...

publishing Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...

(both in print and in new media), and to encourage the publishing of such works by

public libraries A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also civil servants. There are five fundamenta ...

and

local authorities Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...

.Local Studies Alan Ball Local History Awards
Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, published 2011-11-02, accessed 2012-05-06 The awards were established in the 1980sAm Baile – Highland website wins national history award
, Am Baile, published 2004-11-15, accessed 2012-05-06 and are run by the Library Services Trust. They are named after the local history author and former chief librarian of the Harrow and Home Counties libraries.Press release
Nottinghamshire County Council, published 2005-01-14, accessed 2012-05-06 A maximum of three awards are made each year.

Awards

The following is the partial list of award winners.

2021

* Hard-copy joint winner
''The Picture of Yarmouth: 200 Years of Built Heritage''.
Published by the Great Yarmouth Local History & Archaeological Society. * Hard-copy joint winner: Louise Ryland-Epton (ed),
Bremhill Parish Through the Ages: The Heritage of a Wiltshire Community
'. Published by the Bremhill Parish History Group. * Hard-copy highly commended: Lewis N Wood,
Banstead War Memorial – 100 Years: An Illustrated histor
y''. Published by the Banstead History Research Group. * Hard-copy highly commended: Clare Wichbold –
Hard Work – But Glorious: Stories from the Herefordshire Suffrage Campaign
' (self-published). * Community award joint winner: Alison Wilson with Anna Crutchley and Lilian Rundblad, photography by Faruk Kara,
A Community Remembers: Histon Road
' (book with CD). Published by the Histon Road Area Residents Association. * Community award joint winner:
Nunnery Lane and Clementhorpe: Exploring Old Shops and Pubs in York
'. Published by the Clements Hall Local History Group. * E-publication: South West Heritage Trails – Torbay Discovery Heritage Trail https://www.southwestheritagetrails.org.uk/. Published by South West Heritage Trust.

2020

* Hard-copy winner: John Simpson (ed),
Managing Poverty: Cheltenham Settlement Examinations and Removal Orders, 1831-5
2''. Published by the Bristol and Gloucestershire Archaeological Society. * Highly commended: Rowan Whimster, ''Ramsbury: A Place and its People''. Published by the Friends of the Holy Cross Church, Ramsbury. * Community award: Louise Wong (ed.), ''Crossing the Borders tories of the S E Asian communities in Manchester'' An NLHF funded project by the Wai Yin Society / Manchester University / Ahmed Iqbal Ulah RACE centre – Manchester Central Library / Manchester Art Gallery. * E publication award: Stroudwater History website �
https://stroudwaterhistory.org.uk
Published by the Stroudwater Navigation Archive Charity.

2019

* ''Delving along the Derwent: a history of 200 quarries and the people who worked in them,'' National Stone Centre.
The Post War History of Leicester 1945-1962
(web site), East Midlands Oral History Archive.

2018

*
A Swindon Time Capsule: Working Class Life 1899-1984. Highlights from the Dixon-Attwell Collection held at Swindon Central Library
'' by Graham Carter, Swindon Heritage, Local Studies (Swindon Libraries).
Poole, the First World War and its Legacy
(web site), Poole Museum.
Bristol Old Vic Archive
(web site), Bristol Bristol Old Vic Heritage, Amy Spreadbury.

2017

* ''Miss Weeton'', ''Governess and Traveller'', ed Alan Roby; Wigan Archives.
Spratton Local History Society website

2015

* ''West Sussex Remembering 1914-18'', eds. Martin Hayes and Emma White; West Sussex County Council.
Buxton Museum Apps
, Buxton Museum.
Milford Street Bridge Project
Milford Street Bridge Project, St Edmunds Community Association.

2010

* East Lothian Council, ''East Lothian 1945–2000'', Sonia Baker (editor) * Epping Forest District Council, ''The Life and Art of Octavius Dixie Deacon'', Chris Pond and Richard Morris *

Nottinghamshire County Council Nottinghamshire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Nottinghamshire in England. It consists of 66 county councillors, elected from 56 electoral divisions every four years. The most recent election ...

, ''These Uncertaine Tymes: Newark and the Civilian Experience of the Civil Wars 1640–1660'', Stuart Jennings

2007

*
Bedfordshire Women's Land Army
' (web site),

Bedfordshire County Council Bedfordshire County Council was the county council of the non-metropolitan county of Bedfordshire in England. It was established on 24 January 1889 and was abolished on 1 April 2009. The county council was based in Bedford. In 1997 Luton Borough ...

, Stuart Antrobus *''The Somerset Wetlands: An Ever Changing Environment'', Somerset Books, Pat Hill-Cottingham, Derek Briggs, Richard Brunning, Andy King, Graham Rix

2006

*
Norfolk E-Map Explorer
' (web site),

Norfolk County Council Norfolk County Council is the top-tier local government authority for Norfolk, England. Its headquarters are based in the city of Norwich. Below it there are 7 second-tier local government district councils: Breckland District, Broadland Distr ...

*''Viewing the Lifeless Body, A Coroner and his inquests held in Nottinghamshire Public Houses during the Nineteenth Century, 1828–1866'',

, Bernard Heathcote.

2005

*''Beyond the Grave: Exploring Newcastle's Burial Grounds'', Newcastle City Council, Alan Morgan

2004

*
Am Baile/The Gaelic Village
' (web site),

Highland Council The Highland Council (' ), the political body covering the Highland local authority created in 1995, comprises 21 wards, each electing three or four councillors by the single transferable vote system, which creates a form of proportional represe ...

, Interactive Bureau *''Steam And Speed: Railways Of Tyne And Wear'',

Newcastle upon Tyne City Council Newcastle City Council is the local government authority for the city and metropolitan borough of Newcastle upon Tyne. The council consists of 78 councillors, three for each of the 26 wards in the city. It is currently controlled by the Labour ...

, Andy GuyTyne Bridge Publishing Books Win Awards – journal – September 07, 2004 – Id. 72443248
vLex, published 2004-09-07, accessed 2012-05-06 *''The Shadow of the Gallows: Crime and Punishment on Tyneside in the Eighteenth Century'', Newcastle Libraries & Information Service, Barry Redfern *
Picture The Past
' (web site),

, Nottingham City Council,

Derbyshire County Council Derbyshire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Derbyshire, England. It has 64 councillors representing 61 divisions, with three divisions having two members each. They are Glossop and Charlesworth, ...

and Derby City Council

2003

*''Kinder Scout: Portrait of a Mountain'', Roly Smithrolysmith.com
, accessed 2012-05-16

1999

*''Southwark: An Illustrated History'', London Borough of Southwark, Leonard Reilly *

City of Westminster The City of Westminster is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and London boroughs, borough in Inner London. It is the site of the United Kingdom's Houses of Parliament and much of the British government. It occupies a large area of cent ...

*Leading the way: a history of Lancashire's roads,

Lancashire County Council Lancashire County Council is the upper-tier local authority for the non-metropolitan county of Lancashire, England. It consists of 84 councillors. Since the 2017 election, the council has been under Conservative control. Prior to the 2009 La ...

, Alan Crosby

1998

City of Newcastle upon Tyne Newcastle upon Tyne ( RP: , ), or simply Newcastle, is a city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. The city is located on the River Tyne's northern bank and forms the largest part of the Tyneside built-up area. Newcastle is als ...

, Richard Caddel and Anthony Flowers *''Guardian of the Trent: The Story of Newark Castle'',

, Pamela Marshall and John Samuels *''Stockport: a History'', Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council, Peter Arrowsmith

1997

*''All about Bede: the life and times of the Venerable Bede, 672 - 735 AD,'' City of Sunderland,

Terry Deary William Terence Deary (born 3 January 1946) is a British children's author of over 200 books, selling over 25 million copies in over 40 languages, best known as the writer of the ''Horrible Histories'' series. Since 1994 he has been one of Britai ...

*''The History of Croxley Green Through Its Street Names''
Croxley Green Parish Council
Shirley Greenman *''The Lancashire cotton industry : a history since 1700'',

, Mary B Rose

1996

*''Contrasts in a Victorian city, Birmingham: sources and notes for a study of Victorian Birmingham'', Birmingham City Council, Richard Albutt, Martin Flynn, Philippa Bassett, Jackie Inman *''Working Children in Nineteenth Century Lancashire'',

, Michael Winstanley *''William Morris at Merton'',

London Borough of Merton The London Borough of Merton () is a borough in Southwest London, England. The borough was formed under the London Government Act 1963 in 1965 by the merger of the Municipal Borough of Mitcham, the Municipal Borough of Wimbledon and the Merton ...

, David Saxby

1994

*''Essex Gold: Fortunes of the Essex Oysterman'', Essex County Council, Hervey Benham *''Durham Cathedral: artists & images,''

Durham County Council Durham County Council is a local authority administering all significant local government functions in the unitary authority area of County Durham in North East England. The council area covers part of the ceremonial county of County Durham, e ...

, Patricia R. Andrew *''Merton Priory'',

, Penny Bruce and Simon Mason *''Beardmore built: the rise and fall of a Clydeside shipyard'', Clydebank District Council, Ian Johnston *''Shropshire From the Air: Man and The Landscape'', Shropshire County Council, Michael Watson and Chris Musson

1993

*''Romans on the Wight'',

Isle of Wight County Council Isle of Wight County Council was the county council of the non-metropolitan English county of the Isle of Wight from 1890 to 1995. History County councils were first introduced in England and Wales with full powers from 22 September 1889 as a re ...

*''Riot!: the story of the East Lancashire loom-breakers in 1826'',

, Jim Walker *''Newcastle's changing map'',

, M Barke and RJ Buswell *''The Wakes of Northamptonshire: A Family History'', Northamptonshire County Council, Peter Gordon *''Huddersfield: A Most Handsome Town'',

Kirklees Metropolitan Borough Council Kirklees Council is the local authority providing most local government services for the borough of Kirklees in West Yorkshire, England. It is a metropolitan district council and one of five constituent councils of the West Yorkshire Combined Aut ...

, EA Hilary Haigh

1992

*''I-spy the London borough of Sutton'', London Borough of Sutton *''Cinemas of Newcastle upon Tyne'', Newcastle upon Tyne City Libraries and Arts, Frank Manders *''Tameside 1066–1700'', Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council, Michael Nevell

1991

*''Southwold River: Georgian Life in the Blyth Valley'',

Suffolk County Council Suffolk County Council is the administrative authority for the county of Suffolk, England. It is run by 75 elected county councillors representing 63 divisions. It is a member of the East of England Local Government Association. History Establ ...

, Rachel Lawrence *''Old Runcorn'',

Halton Borough Council Halton Borough Council is the local authority for the Borough of Halton, incorporating the towns of Runcorn and Widnes and the parishes of Daresbury, Hale, Moore and Preston Brook. It is a constituent council of Liverpool City Region Combined Aut ...

, H F Starkey *''Waterways of Northamptonshire'', Northamptonshire County Council, David Blagrove *''A Fighting Trade: Rail Transport in Tyne Coal, 1600-1800'', Gateshead Metropolitan District Council, G. Bennett, E Clavering and A Rounding *''Archive Map Collection,'' Gateshead Metropolitan District Council'','' Les Turnbull

1990

* ''The goodliest place in Middlesex: being a history of the ancient parish of Ruislip which comprised Ruislip, Northwood, Eastcote, Ruislip Manor and South Ruislip,'' Hillingdon Libraries, Eileen M. Bowlt uthor Awardref name=":8"> * ''Williams Barnes: The Somerset Engravings,'' Somerset County Libraries, Laurence Keen ook Production Awardref name=":8" />

1989

*Author: Eileen M. Bowlt, Hillingdon Libraries *Book production: Somerset County Library, Keen

1988

*Patrick Dillon & Wiltshire County Library

1987

*Author: Helen & Richard Leacroft *Book production: Cambridgeshire Libraries, Storey

1986

*Author: Eleanor & Rex C. Russell *Book production: Northamptonshire Libraries, Rowland Holloway

References

{{Reflist History awards British non-fiction literary awards Awards established in 1986 1986 establishments in the United Kingdom British local history