People all over Wiltshire will be taking a step back in time to discover the county's rich and fascinating past during Local History Week.

Nearly 40 events have been arranged across the area by Wiltshire County Council's libraries and museum service for the initiative, which begins on Saturday.

It will give the people of Wiltshire the chance to find out a little more about some of their ancestors and where they lived.

The organisers hope there will be something for everyone. Events range from local history walks through to talks from experts on subjects as diverse as rioting in Marlborough to the role of women in Wiltshire's past.

Memories of war time Wiltshire will be aired and a nostalgic tea party held at Chippenham library. Tickets for this event are £3.50, available from the library on (01249) 650536, but all the rest are free.

Events running for the whole of the week include a display of photographs of Wootton Bassett put on by the town's historical society at the library during normal opening hours, and an exhibition called That Corner of the World Which has a Smile for Me, at the Wiltshire Heritage Museum, Long Street, Devizes.

History Week organiser Mike Marshman said: "Wiltshire has a fascinating history dating from pre-historic times.

"We are extremely lucky to have such well known monuments as Stonehenge, Salisbury cathedral and the Avebury stone circle but the history of Wiltshire is so much broader than this. It is the people of Wiltshire who really make history come to life.

"During the week we will be focusing on how the people of Wiltshire used to live and the history of towns on a very 'local' scale. There will be something for everybody and the events will be entertaining as well as informative. I would encourage everyone to come along to an event."

Where to become past master

Saturday May 4

10am-4pm, Wiltshire History Road Show, experts answer questions on items taken for identification, Trowbridge Museum; 2pm, Where Does Local History Come From?, talk by Dr John Chandler, Wiltshire Heritage Museum, Devizes.

Monday May 6

10am-4pm, open day at the Wiltshire Archaeological and Natural History Society library, Wiltshire Heritage Museum, Devizes; 2pm, history walk around Malmesbury led by Civic Trust, meet at library.

Tuesday May 7

10.30am, A History of Inns and Alehouses, talk by Michael Marshman, Lyneham library; 2.30pm, Bromham village walk, meet at social club car park; 2.30pm, Reflections of a Wiltshire Publisher, talk by Roger Jones, Malmesbury library; 2.30pm, People of the Merchant's House, talk by Lorelei Williams, Marlborough library; 7.30pm, Finding and Writing Our History, talk by Deborah Nicholls, Corsham library; 7.30pm, The Wiltshire Woollen Industry, talk by Ken Rogers, Calne library.

Wednesday May 8

10.30am, Beginners' Guide to Local History Sources with Wendy Beaver, Devizes library; 2pm, palaeography class with Steve Hobbs, Wiltshire Heritage Museum, Devizes; 2.30pm, Violence and Lawlessness in the Middle Ages, talk by Dr Carrie Smith, Calne library; 2.30pm, One Thousand Years of Corsham, talk by Martin Yallop, Corsham library; 2.30pm, Researching and Writing a Millennium History: the Urchfont Experience, talk by Peter Thorpe, Devizes library; 2.30pm, Marlborough: Riotous Living, talk by Brian Edwards, Marlborough library; 2.30pm, Do you Really Want to Know your Ancestors?, talk by John and Beryl Hurley, Pewsey library; 3.30pm, Thanks for the Memory with Rose Lunt, war time memories and a tea party, Chippenham library; 7.30pm, Manuscripts and Memories: a history of books about Malmesbury, talk by John Bowen, town library.

Thursday May 9

2.30pm, Old Wootton Bassett, a talk by Walter Iveson, Wootton Bassett library; 7pm, A General History of Box, talk by Martin Yallop, Box library; 7pm, Devizes town walk led by Lorna Haycock, meet at Wiltshire Heritage Museum; 7pm, Beginners' Guide to Local History Sources, with Wendy Beaver, Devizes library.

Saturday May 11

10am-4pm, Wiltshire and Swindon Record Office open day, Trowbridge; 10.30am, Beginners' Guide to Local History Sources, with Wendy Beaver, Devizes library.