Helping to make history in Hackney

Among the highlights at Hackney is a "beginners' guide" to 18th-century black Londoners, which takes the form of an interactive session of images, games, period writing and poetry for adults and children to show how black Londoners lived more than 200 years ago.

Visitors can also take part in a Black History Family trail. This includes a poignant exhibition produced with Hackney Caribbean Elders entitled, Coming to England.

There's a chance for youngsters to try on Tudor, Georgian and Victorian costumes, play with period toys and an opportunity for all to take part in a cookery demonstration showing off the different cultural culinary tastes of the people of Hackney.

The event takes place from noon to 4pm at the National Trust Sutton House in Homerton High Street, Hackney.

At the university's central campus in Walton Hall, Milton Keynes, events include an African storytelling session for local children as young as three. The history of soul music is celebrated at the OU Library where, as part of the Milton Keynes Film Festival, there will be a public showing of the BBC series Soul Deep on the evenings of 6 and 13 October. While in the Berrill Lecture Theatre there will be screenings of the acclaimed BBC/OU TV series The Slavery Business, at 12.30pm on 21 and 27 October. And there will be displays on show around Walton Hall throughout the month organised by the university's Ferguson Centre for African and Asian Studies.

"Black History Month provides an opportunity for us to promote black history and culture within British society generally, as well as in our local communities and the university," said Tony O'Shea, the university's Policy and diversity.

"Since it was first celebrated in Britain in 1987, it has grown to celebrate achievements and histories of African, Caribbean and Asian people, and the OU events will reflect this."