FORMER Beirut hostage Terry Waite CBE , patron of Lymm’s new Heritage Centre was the special guest at the official opening of the lottery funded project.
He was joined by the Mayor of Warrington, Cllr Les Morgan as well as heads of local schools, including Gwyn Williams Head of Lymm High School and many of the team who have brought this remarkable project to fruition.
For Terry, who was in the village as a guest speaker at the Lymm Festival, it was an opportunity to reminisce about his own time in Lymm, nearly sixty years ago when he worked alongside Alan Taylor, one of the Centre’s team at Henry Millings the Grocer ( now Rolando’s).
He went on to talk about the vital role that a centre like Lymm’s can play in strengthening a sense of community and how an awareness of the past enriches our understanding of the place where we live.
Alan Williams chair of the group spoke about the pride of the team who had turned an idea into a reality with the help of Heritage Lottery Fund and other local supporters. He went on to describe how the opening was an important milestone but that there is still a long and exciting journey ahead as the centre starts to develop learning resources for local schools, as well as creating a digital archive that will preserve and share Lymm’s Heritage for all to share and enjoy.
The Mayor congratulated the team on the local energy and commitment that had been channelled into creating a fantastic new resource for the whole community and visitors.
The centre had already got off to a roaring start with nearly 2,000 visitors since its actual opening which was timed to coincide with the start of Lymm Festival.
The opening exhibition “A Quiet Revolution” explores the local social history of the golden age of cycling at the start of the 20th century and beyond.
As well as a stunning collection of rare and historic bicycles, on loan from Walton Cycle Museum the exhibition uncovers many fascinating stories related specifically to Lymm.
This exhibition is planned to run until the end of September. In the meantime the team are starting to develop a broader exhibition that will tell Lymm’s story through Trades, Transport and Traditions.
With other exhibitions planned as well as the learning and digitisation projects there are exciting times ahead and an opportunity for all to be involved in this Heritage Lottery funded project.
If you would like to know more and maybe sign up for anyone one of a range of voluntary roles visit the website at www.lymmhic.co.uk or come along and see for yourself from 1-5pm Thursday to Sunday at Legh Street, next to The Community Centre, just off Bridgewater St.
Pictured (top) Wendy Platt, representing her husband Howard Platt, owner of the building whose commitment and generosity made the project possible, Alan Williams, Chair of the Heritage Centre Group, Cllr Les Morgan, Mayor of Warrington, Paul Adams, who provided almost all the bicycles for the centre’s opening exhibition and Terry Waite CBE Patron of the Centre.
