Heritage Open Days - enjoy our rich heritage

26th August 2010

 Celebrate the sights and sounds of a bygone era as St.Helens Council unveils its popular Heritage Open Days from September 9 - 12.

Delve back in time and see live demonstrations and exhibitions from the Borough’s rich seam of heritage

New for this year is the St.Helens Cemetery walk seeking out the graves of the famous and infamous including the first woman to be murdered in St Helens.

Once again the Town Hall square will be the historic hub with a vintage car rally, children’s crafts, help on tracing your family tree plus advice on WWI medals and numerous exhibitions and live demonstrations. The UnNamed Players return with another outstanding performance based on real events that happened in the Town during the year of 1910. You can also celebrate the centenary of Girl Guiding and the new guide heritage trail and Girls in the Lead exhibition.

Don’t miss the exciting tour of the Town Hall featuring the Mayors Parlour, the Members Room, Council chamber and a look at the Assembly Hall.

You can also tour the hidden treasures and archives in the Gamble building, gain access to the oldest building still in use (the Friends Meeting House) and celebrate the life and works of Charles Rennie Mackintosh at the Just Mackintosh work rooms.

There will be an opportunity to visit to the largest carillon in the North West at St Mary’s Lowe House, a chance to celebrate our mining heritage as the Citadel performs ‘Citadel Down’t Pit’, a look back through the Theatre Royal’s past plus their terrifying Theatre Ghosts stories.

And if that’s not enough for culture vultures, the World of Glass will be giving live demonstrations of how they make their fantastic glassware, giving guided tours around the magnificent Victorian Cone Building. Look our for the Victorian Cream Teas being served throughout the day at the World of Glass.

Elsewhere across the Borough why not visit the Smithy Heritage Centre at Eccleston where you will be transported back into the 1950’s with Cocktails and Canapés at the Smithy.

The Shining Lights Heritage Group will also be giving free guided tours of the Dream statue and taking a look back at the history of the Sutton Manor Colliery site. Over in Blackbrook take a tour of the Stanley Bank Industrial Triangle and see some of the fantastic archaeological findings including the 18th Century iron-slitting mill. There is also the chance to view the new reproduction water wheels now on site.

Fir Tree Farm will again be holding its popular tours with a look around the Grade II listed Farmhouse. And finally, take a look around the 15th Century Windleshaw Chantry in St.Helens Cemetery.

A Town Crier will be in the Town Centre on 4th and 10th September to add his vocals to advertise the weekend.

Many of the events require you to book in advance, so pick up a copy of the brochure to find out who to call so you don’t miss out! Also included in the brochure is a small questionnaire where you get the chance to win a piece of handcrafted glassware from the World of Glass.

For a copy of the brochure please contact the Tourist Information Centre on 01744 755150.