Stephen Guy is Chairman of the West Derby Society. He will talk about this ancient community which is older than Liverpool - the city that swallowed it up in the 1890s.

King John is said to have hunted in the royal hunting forest at West Derby, where a castle was built in early Norman times. Last traces of the simple fortress were removed in the 1950s. Ancient West Derby Village was rebuilt by the Earl of Sefton in the 1850s to make a suitable entrance to the newly laid-out grounds of his stately home, Croxteth Hall. However, historic buildings such as the Tudor Courthouse and Yeoman's House and village stocks were retained. The West Derby Society campaigned for the 1586 Courthouse to be restored, and 2007 is the third year it has been open (every Sunday between 2 pm and 4 pm, admission free). It is manned by Society volunteers.

Stephen is also a trustee of Grade II-listed Lowlands, a mansion in the Village which has been the home of the West Derby Community Association since 1957. In March 2007 the Heritage Lottery Fund gave the green light for a £1 million restoration and renovation of the 1846 building, due to start in September 2007.