LYMM’S new heritage centre has already been given the thumbs up by more than 3,000 visitors.
During a time when thge village has seen many challenges, like the bank and post office closures, Heritage Centre Chair Alan Williams says it is great to be able to report on an initiative that has the potential to make a positive difference for Warrington residents and visitors.
The new Lymm Heritage Centre opened with a bang in time for Lymm Festival and received over 1,000 visitors on Historic Transport Day alone. Since then it has maintained a steady stream of visitors during its Thursday to Sunday opening periods, clocking up more than 3,000.
Alan said: “We are delighted at the level of interest and the overwhelmingly positive feedback – but this is really just the beginning. There are teams working in the background now in a number of areas and Lymm should start to see the results of that over the next twelve months. These include a set of resources and activities of schools to help them deliver local history in an exciting and engaging way. Another group are developing a digital archive. The aim there is to both share and secure for the future as many photographs and other images of Lymm as possible for research, education and enjoyment. ‘’
Team member Glynis Allen said: “We recently had an email from some-one who visits an old lady who lives alone in the south of England. She had been very excited to discover that she would have access to so much material about the village where she grew up and is looking forward to sharing her memories with us”
The first exhibition “A Quiet Revolution” about the impact that cycling had on the area at the turn of the last century will be showing until September 30. The Centre will then open with a brand new exhibition in October that will launch the digital archive project.
Alan said:“This will essentially be an exhibition of historical photographs of the village and will be our first chance to show off some of the fascinating new material that has already been donated”
Alan, whose own photographs of Lymm in the 50s and 60s will feature in the exhibition “but we will also be encouraging people to bring in their own photographs to the centre where they can be scanned and immediately returned before being added to both the archive and the exhibition”.
Work is also proceeding in the background on the design and creation of a more lasting exhibition that will tell the Lymm Story through the themes of Trades, Transport and Tradition. That is planned to open in the first half of 2018.
The whole project is supported by The Heritage Lottery Fund. To find out more, including opening hours and the opportunities for involvement and becoming a friend of the Centre, visit the website www.lymmhic.co.uk.
Picture Caption: A group of ten Manchester based retired teachers; just one of the many groups visiting the centre over the past three months.
