Robert Owen Co-op is on Twitter

Robert Owen, the father of co-operation, might have passed over in 1858 but someone is tweeting on his behalf. Bit of irony in that late in life Robert Owen did turn to spiritualism and had contact with people from an earlier past.

@RobertOwenCoop London
I am a social reformer. Through education, and improving the living and working conditions of all, I believe we can create a fairer and more prosperous society.

Or maybe it really his him tweeting? Well no the National Co-operative Archive have owned up. It is a way to draw attention to Owen's thoughts on social reform, education and co-operation to a 21st Century audience.

Here are the links
http://twitter.com/#!/RobertOwenCoop
http://www.co-op.ac.uk/our-heritage/national-co-operative-archive/

Ed Mayo Secretary General of Co-operatives UK clearly knows his Robert Owen. He recently wrote a concise article for Co-op News 14th October. The echoes of Robert Owen are in the current free schools movement. If you are interested it's worth a shufti at- http://www.thenews.coop/article/children-know-co-operation-lets-keep-it-way

Robert Owen - Manchester #6

Today is the 150th Anniversary of the death of Robert Owen. Apart from an excellent post by "Politics For People", the event has gone unrecognised. However his legacy of ideas carries on even if people are not familiar with his name.

Photos is the blue plaque on The Royal Exchange building, St.Ann's Square, Manchester. The site of a drapery shop were Robert Owen worked when he first came to the city.

Worth a browse are Archives Hub: Robert Owen which has a brief biog and some pictures of letters in the spidery quill writing of the day.

Earlier Robert Owen posts

Robert Owen - Manchester #5

Whilst in Manchester Robert Owen stayed in a boarding house at 8 Brazennose Street where he met fellow lodger Robert Fulton - later known for his submarine and steamboat inventions. That was back in 1794, and he'd be 23 and Robert Fulton would be 29. Both Roberts struck a business deal to develop cutting machinery for the new canal constructions in Britain - the venture capitalism of the 18th Century. You can read about it in - Projects For Marine Propulsion Chapter III

You can't see the building 'cos that's long gone but the street pattern still exists. On the right the area called Longworth's Folly is where the Town Hall was built in the late 19th Century.

Robert Owen - Manchester #4

The Robert Owen statue is now a photo opportunity. I almost expect the Prime Minister to a get a snapshot taken next time he's in Manchester. Why not take your own photo and send it here.
So left to right : Mervyn Wilson, Co-operative College;Douglas Alexander MP;Dave Gibson, College Board of Governors; Pauline Green, Co-ops UK.

Robert Owen - Manchester #3

There are still some old cotton mills in the centre of Manchester. They haven't done any spinning for years and have been transformed into appartments. Robert Owen was in business in one of them around the Chorlton-on-Medlock district. Don't know which one, or even if it's still standing. Always like to think that it's this one on the corner of Cambridge Street and Hulme Street - map. One day I'll find the definitive answer. Though the area has refurbed from dereliction to prime reality in the last ten years it has buckets of industrial revolution history. The first industrial slum "Little Ireland" that Engels wrote about is around the corner from this mill, and the first raincoat factory is at the end of the street.

Further reading : Spinning The Web - Chorlton-on-Medlock

Robert Owen - Manchester #2

It's in Northenden near Wythenshawe Park. This is 1960's sheltered housing, and back when Robert Owen was in Manchester this was all fields and part of Lord Tatton's estate. One of the few references to Robert Owen in the city.
Streetmap

Robert Owen - Manchester #1

Statue of Robert Owen, Manchester, England Originally uploaded by beyondutopia.
Seeing this is the 150th Anniversary year of the death of Robert Owen then it's time to weblog a few images. Robert Owen came to Manchester in 1787 when aged 16 and stayed until 1799 when he moved to New Lanark. There is very little left of 18th Century Manchester but there is a statue of him outside the Co-operative Bank HQ. This is the same as the statue in Newtown, Wales where he was born.

More to follow....