AS World Cup fever kicks off today, 10 years ago 250 people packed into the Lymm Hotel for a night of celebration to mark the 50th anniversary of the time that the hotel was briefly home to the 1966 Brazil World Cup squad.
The squad included iconic players like Pelé, Garrincha and Gilmar, who all stayed at the former Lymm Hotel, creating a buzz around the quiet Cheshire village.
Members of the Brazil squad in the hotel gardens
That night in 2016, the memories flowed as freely as the wine, with memories of kickabouts with the stars, autographs, photos and even the lending of kids’ bikes to the players so that they could ride around the village. The reminiscences were fuelled too by an outstanding display of photographs and memorabilia. Much of it was provided by avid local collector Neil Perkins, with the whole event, attended by England World Cup winner Roger Hunt, being organised by the newly formed Lymm Heritage group.
What was meant to be a one evening affair ended up running for almost a week as the BBC picked up on the story, featuring it on their home page and with regional news programmes also turning up to promote the story.
Much has changed in Lymm in the ten years since that night. The historic hotel was demolished in 2019 to make way for retirement apartments. Pelé and Roger Hunt sadly passed away. But on the plus side, the village does now have its own Heritage Centre, a charity that was launched back on that night in 2016. And it is in the Heritage Centre that you can now see and hear again the whole story of that famous 1966 visit, 60 years ago this year, in the form of video and storyboards as well as a gallery of photographs, many of them newly restored using the latest technology.
The exhibition also includes a rediscovered hotel visitor book, never before seen in public, containing the signatures of the whole team and staff plus several of the other teams who visited around that time.
Whether you’re a football fan, a local history enthusiast, or just a lover of nostalgia, organisers think you will enjoy Brazilymm66+60. The exhibition opened on Saturday, June 6th and is due to run till late August. Lymm Heritage Centre is at 1 Legh St, Lymm, WA13 0DA. The Centre is open from 12 til 4 – Thursday to Sunday. More info at www.lymmhic.co.uk
The Brazil team at the hotel
A Brazil player is pictured out taking pictures!
Roger Hunt and Pele and former Lymm Hotel manager Jamie MacDonald
