HISTORIAN and Bafta Award-winning filmmaker Michael Wood is the latest name to have contributed to the University of Liverpool’s series of heritage lectures.

Mr Wood – most recently seen on television in his six part series The Story of India – has studied around the world, but the Manchester-born academic told the Daily Post he was thrilled to have the opportunity to delve into the city’s archives to research his talk, held at the university’s Sherrington Buildings last night.

He said: “I’ve been coming to Liverpool since my teens and filmed here on quite a few occasions. I’m not an expert on the city, so in preparing for the talk a great deal of help came from the museums and archives – outside of London, Liverpool is the best place for museums, archives and galleries and the information that is available is fantastic.

“My main interest was to look into the ancient origins of Liverpool.

“Places such as Toxteth, Crosby and Skelmersdale are all featured in the Domesday Book, in 1086. Everybody speaks of the city being founded in 1207, but it didn’t just appear.”

The sense of connection between the old Lancashire area and Ireland, Scotland and Wales makes for a stronger link and more vital culture between Liverpool and those places than other parts of England, such as London, he argues.