EVERYTHING from family history and county corpse roads to travel in Barrow by tram and bus will feature in the 35th anniversary series of talks from Barrow Civic and Local History Society.

To mark this milestone, today's pictures from The Mail archive feature significant events and activities in the town during the first few years of the society’s life.

Those 35 years have seen businesses come and go, visits by royalty and political leaders and the loss of significant buildings.

All the 2020 society meetings, except for a special visit in April, are held at 2pm on Fridays in the Trinity Church Centre, Abbey Road, Barrow.

Admission is £2.50 for members and £3 for visitors. All are welcome.

Chairman Vanessa Allen said: "In 2020 the society is looking forward to celebrating 35 years since it began in 1985.

"It is as keen as ever to promote the heritage of the town and encourage a sense of civic pride."

The society's annual meeting is held on January 24, followed by Ulverston author Neil Honeyman with The Bronte Story.

On February 28 Barrow researcher Geoff Holme will give a presentation on the history of public transport in Barrow by trams and buses.

The Corpse Roads of Cumbria provides an unusual topic for the March 27 meeting when author Alan Cleaver will be the guest speaker.

On April 24 the society members will be visiting the archive office in Barrow Central Library at 5pm for a talk by Barrow archivist Susan Benson on sources for researching your family history in Cumbria.

The speaker on September 25 will be Louise Martin. from the Morecambe Bay Partnership.

Her topic will Recording the Bay, an update on recent archaeological and historical research in Morecambe Bay.

Neil Whalley  will be the guest speaker on October 30 with the story of the Manor of Muchland and Gleaston Castle.

On November 27 Dr Rob David  will give a presentation called An Oriental mirage: eastern influences in Cumbria.

You can find out more about the work of the society on its website at https://protect-eu.mimecast.com/s/8k8sCNLrrF2nVRKTmFF5j

The society's last talk in the 2019 programme was by Colin Smith, Chairman, of the Ulverston Canal Regeneration Group.

Ulverston Canal was sold by Glaxo seven years ago and is now owned by a private company which specialises in cleaning up industrial sites.

Mr Smith said regeneration group was founded shortly afterwards to deal with weeds, litter and an overgrown canal footpath.

Improvements to the footpath have been made with extra benches and litter bins put in place.

The clearance of the weeds has allowed wildflowers to flourish and the habitat for the wildfowl and other creatures has improved.