Five years ago, when I was working for Unionlearn in Cornwall, I was asked by Nigel Costley, the TUC's South West Secretary, if I could run a history school at the Tolpuddle Festival. As an ex history teacher, I was intrigued by the possibility of running a history school in a marquee in the middle of a field in Dorset that had a huge historical back story.

The earliest school had 12 attendees and, last year, we had over 35 students, so I can honestly say the school has grown. The idea has been very much to look at working class history and I have been able to arrange for several leading historians from universities across the country deliver sessions at the school.

I believe that learning for the love of learning is incredibly important and I have tried to provide a friendly environment for adults to come together not only to listen to the lectures I put on, but also to have the chance to discuss with others the issues raised.

I am very aware that we now have a radical history school family who come back year after year, so, while it is hard to measure our success in terms of verifiable outcomes, I know that we have provided an atmosphere and a place where like minded individuals can meet once a year.

The radical history school fulfils another aspect that I believe is important and that is lifelong learning and I notice that attendees at the school cover all ages from those who have retire to teenagers and the interaction of the attendees is something I love to watch.

History often suffers from the tag that it is boring and yet we have proved that is possible to put on three days of history at Tolpuddle once a year and to have not only top rate speakers who come for nothing, but also to have an audience which is truly interested in the subject.

I have overcome all sorts of interesting difficulties in running the school; force nine gales, heavy if not torrential rainfall, speakers not turning up and a heat wave. It is true that teaching in a marquee is not the easiest place to deliver, but, come June, I look forward every year to being at Tolpuddle and running the Radical History School.

I believe that education should not just stop when you leave school but should be an ongoing experience throughout life. In my view, the Radical History School at Tolpuddle is part of that experience and long may it continue.

The Tolpuddle Martyrs' Festival takes place in the village of Tolpuddle in Dorset, 17-19 July 2015. The radical history school takes place during the festival, starting on Thursday 16 July and finishing on Saturday 18 July.