Professor John Pickstone of the University of Manchester recently helped arrange a series of ‘Interfaculty Lectures’ and, with friends in Manchester Metropolitan University and the City, he initiated and organised a major Manchester Histories Festival in March 2009. This proved a huge success, filling the Town Hall with around 5000 participants. It has stimulated a general review of Manchester’s reflections on its history and resulted in ongoing plans for more Festivals, every two years or so. He will place the achievements of Manchester in an overall context for us, assessing its impact on our society.