Take a journey through time and discover Tameside's history at the Heritage Open Days Festival
FROM a vintage Ashton bus to fascinating archaeological discoveries, Heritage Open Days will showcase Tameside's transport heritage and local history.
From 11 to 20 September, Tameside Council is inviting residents and visitors to explore Tameside's history through the theme of transport at Portland Basin Museum (OL7 0QA), featuring objects from their collections and archive images.
Members of Tameside Archaeological Society will attend Portland Basin from 10am until 3pm on Saturday 12 and Sunday 13 September. Visitors will have the chance to chat to them about recent discoveries and get hands-on with a range of fascinating finds.
In addition, a vintage Ashton bus from the Museum of Transport Greater Manchester will visit Portland Basin on Wednesday 16 September from 10am to 4pm.
There will also be a family history helpdesk staffed by members of Tameside Local History Forum at the museum on Saturday 19 September between 10:30am and 3pm to explore residents’ family history.
Local Studies and Archives Centre (OL6 7BY) are also offering a month full of celebrating Tameside’s incredible history and heritage for September.
Events include a talk by Mossley Heritage Centre on Wednesday 9 September at 2pm, exploring its work to preserve and share the town's heritage.
A Heritage Quiz will take place at on Wednesday 23 September at 2pm.
There will also be interesting talks organised by the Tameside History Forum, hosted at Local Studies, such as ‘Following the Work: From Repton to Park Bridge’ on Tuesday 15 September at 2pm, where John Kidger will share stories of family life and industry in Park Bridge. Followed by Manchester's Titanic People on Tuesday 29 September at 2pm, uncovering the stories of Manchester residents connected to the Titanic.
The programme finishes with a talk on Ashton-born Irish revolutionary Liam Mellows on Wednesday 30 September at 2pm, delivered by the North West Labour History Society.
Alongside the events, visitors can also enjoy an exhibition by local history group History on Your Doorstep, marking the 150th anniversary of Kenyons and celebrating its contribution to the area's history.
Tameside Council’s Executive Member for Lifelong Learning and Culture Cllr Leanne Feeley said: “We have a jam-packed month of activities planned to celebrate Tameside’s rich heritage, and we’d love residents to get involved. There will be a fantastic range of displays, quizzes, and expert teams taking part. There is plenty of opportunities to discover something new and learn more about our local history. So if this is of interest to you, do come along!”