Yuri Gagarin

Why did Yuri Gagarin come to Manchester and where in the city did he visit? The talk will also include testimonies from many that personally saw and met him and the wider social impact of his visit which took place midst the tension of the cold war.

Gurbir will also talk about the development of airports in Manchester, the first in 1911 at the current site of the Trafford Centre and the founding of the Manchester Interplanetary Society in 1936 and testing of the earliest rockets off Ashton New Road in 1937.

Gurbir Singh is a Manchester based blogger and space historian, author of Yuri Gagarin in London and Manchester, will talk about a visit to Manchester by the world's first spaceman Yuri Gagarin on 12th July 1961. Signed copies of the book will be available on the day.