Flora Wilson argues here for the importance of maintaining a fascination with history as an academic subject for experienced, practising history teachers. Just as medical professionals keep their knowledge up to date by reading the latest research, so too, Wilson argues, should history teachers remain engaged with current historical scholarship, even making occasional forays into the archives themselves. Wilson demonstrates here how controversial local figures and rich esoteric stories, such as those of the varied women who went to volunteer on both sides in the Spanish Civil War, can be the basis of stimulating and highly resonant enquiries for students in the history classroom. (Contains 2 figures.)