SALT SUNDAY 2017

From Kerry Fletcher, Middlewich Town Council's Heritage Officer

Salt Sunday 2017

Would anyone like to take part in a very special event in May next year?

Communities and industries have flourished thanks to the salt reserves beneath our feet in Mid-Cheshire. Since 2009, the Salt of the Earth Network has drawn on this abundance to make connections between businesses, communities and churches. 

Termly network meetings explore contemporary topics in a variety of locations.

Each year, Salt Sunday explores and celebrates this heritage with a family-friendly mix of interactive art, music and science. In 2017, we’re taking our annual Salt Sunday event back to the Lion Salt Works in Marston, Northwich for a contemporary family-friendly event from 1:30-4pm on Sunday 7th May.

This year we’re expanding our activities with three streams spread across the site throughout the afternoon: 

• A messy science stream: with hands-on science for all ages including, of course, salt panning;

• An EXPO stream with space for displays from industry, faith, heritage and more with a series of 5-minute taster talks and a great opportunity to network, and... 

• An arts and worship stream: with live music, a talk from Keith Sinclair, the Bishop of Birkenhead, and a community drama event created by Mr and Mrs Theatre Company. 

You may have been involved in previous events or you may have never heard of Salt Sunday – but we’re sending you this invitation to see if you would be willing and able to be a part of the day.

 Please do pass it onto any of your contacts who you feel may also be interested in taking part.

You can watch a short save-the-date clip here: https://youtu.be/IHDiouERLCU, and you can find out more about the Salt of the Earth Network and other upcoming events here: http://bit.ly/SaltSunday2017

Interested in taking part or want to know more?

 Then please respond to contact@saltoftheearthnetwork.net or by using the “contact us” page at http://www.saltoftheearthnetwork.net/ detailing your organisation, which stream (messy science, EXPO and/or arts and worship) you best fit into and any questions you may have.

(Blue text indicates live links)

HERITAGE OPEN DAYS: REVEALING MURGATROYD'S

Middlewich Heritage

Kerry Fletcher, Middlewich Town Council Heritage Officer, writes:

Every September across England 5,000 events are organised to celebrate our fantastic history, architecture and culture. It's a chance for communities to see hidden places and try out new experiences – all of which are FREE to explore. In Middlewich this year we open our doors to show how heritage works behind the scenes and invite people to see the Murgatroyd’s Restoration Project. See the efforts being made to save this industrial heritage scheduled monument, why we are saving it, what plans we have for the future and how you could get involved.

The site on Brooks Lane, Middlewich, is open to visitors between 1pm and 4pm on both days. Parking is on the community church car park CW10 0JG and signs will guide you to the site where our volunteers will be on hand to welcome you and introduce the project.
For the adventurous there is also a tour running from 1pm until 3pm which tells the story of our town and it’s amazing historical links to the salt industry, 2,000 years of salt production and still going strong. The start of the tour will be from Victoria Building, Lewin Street CW10 9AT, there’s a free car park at the rear of the building. The walk will take us through a couple of parts of the town, looking at Iron Age, Roman and Medieval sites in particular then come back onto the canal and walk up to the brine pumps. The tour is free but booking will be required, Sunday is almost full but we still have places on Saturday.
A wonderful and unique way to learn about Middlewich!

MIDDLEWICH HERITAGE WEBSITE

MIDDLEWICH REFLECTS: ANNIVERSARY OF THE BATTLE OF THE SOMME (ARCHIVED)

ARCHIVED

Middlewich Commemoration of the  Somme

Kerry Fletcher writes:

As part of our Middlewich Reflects Great War Project, we wish to invite everyone to join us for a special commemoration at Middlewich Bull Ring on Friday 1st July at 11am.

In partnership with Middlewich Town Council, Middlewich Heritage Trust and Middlewich Royal British Legion, we invite people to join us in paying tribute to those caught up in the conflict.

The service will take place at the War Memorial, attended by the Mayor of Middlewich, invited organisations, Middlewich High School, Wimboldsley Primary School and staff from Tesco Superstore, who will all lay wreaths. There will also be readings from the High School pupils own poems based on life in the Trenches.

We appreciate that not everyone can attend the commemoration, so we have created the ‘Middlewich WWI Window Displays @ Middlewich Town Centre’. Running from Lewin Street Victoria building and the library through Hightown, the Accord Clinic and Ayaan’s Indian. Wheelock Street displays at J D Floral Designs, the Pet Shop, Chisholm’s Newsagents, St Luke’s Shop and Triffic Togs. We’ve also taken over the front window of Tesco Superstore on Southway. There is a trail guide at each venue, displays are up until 10th July.

Locations of window displays in Middlewich

Illustrations courtesy of Middlewich Town Council

Press cutting courtesy of Middlewich Heritage/Middlewich Town Council/Kerry Fletcher

MIDDLEWICH PAST & PRESENT EXHIBITION APRIL 30th 2016 (ARCHIVED)

ARCHIVED

The Mayor of Middlewich, Ken Kingston, in association with Middlewich historian Allan Earl and Kerry Fletcher, the Town Council's Heritage Officer, is presenting an unmissable exhibition at the Town Hall on Saturday 30th April featuring many rare photographs of Middlewich in the past with modern images for comparison.

Ken Kingston and Allan Earl            Photo: Middlewich Town Council

There are also objects from Middlewich Heritage's extensive collection together with rare archive film footage.

Photo:Kerry Fletcher

Kerry is Middlewich Town Council's Heritage Officer. Find out more about her work here

And here's a link to another ongoing local history initiative:

THE MIDDLEWICH VIRTUAL MUSEUM

Whether you're a long time resident or a newcomer to our town this is a golden opportunity for you to find out more about Middlewich's history, which stretches back to the Roman era and beyond.

Middlewich U3A Local History Group

Ken Kingston is the author of Middlewich Hospitality, a fascinating history of licensed premises in Middlewich. Find out more here

Photo: Allan Earl/Middlewich Guardian

Allan Earl has long been a recognised authority on the history of Middlewich. He is the author of Middlewich 900-1900, Middlewich 1900-1950 and Profiles of Middlewich. 
In this Middlewich Diary entry we take a look at his work:

ICONIC MIDDLEWICH BOOK NOW OUT ON CD

SEE ALSO: MIDDLEWICH HERITAGE SOCIETY

Photo: David Hubbard/Middlewich Guardian.

And, on the same day, Middlewich's involvement in the Civil War, and the two Battles of Middlewich, will be commemorated with the unveiling of a permanent marker outside the Town Hall. The ceremony will be performed by the Mayor, Cllr Ken Kingston.

Here's a report on the event from our friends at the Middlewich Guardian:

 BATTLEFIELD MARKER TO BE UNVEILED IN MIDDLEWICH

MIDDLEWICH TODAY'S REPORT AND PHOTOS ON THE UNVEILING COMING SOON!

MIDDLEWICH HERITAGE SURVEY 2015

Kerry Fletcher, Middlewich Town Council Heritage Officer, writes:

I am sending out this message to all previous supporters of heritage, partners, colleagues and friends of Middlewich. Please could you help us by filling out a quick survey on heritage in Middlewich?
• You don’t have to be a resident to have a point of view, the survey is for all to fill in. We need the public’s point of view on heritage and on heritage in Middlewich to enable us to work in a more focused way, bring new projects online and make decisions on how we can best serve the public’s needs.
• The survey will be on line for 1 month and is mainly tick boxes so it will only take a couple of minutes to complete.
• The more responses we get, means we have more information to guide us with any future plans or fund-raising for the town and the surrounding parishes.

Please use the link below to load the form and pass on the link to others you feel would be interested to take part.
Thank you in advance

You can access the survey at:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/LRDVY65

Find out more about Middlewich Heritage at:

http://www.middlewich-heritage.org.uk/

Illustration: Middlewich Heritage/Middlewich Town Council