Wigan Borough Environment & Heritage Network
10.30 a.m. August 14th at Museum of Wigan Life.
Present:
Bob Bruce (Lancashire Mining Museum), Derek Wilde (Wigan Family History Society), Allan Roberts (RSPCB), Peter Goodwin (Tradition Films), Mary Pennington (Wigan Archaeology Society), Avis Freeman (Leigh Soroptimists), Neil Forshaw (George Formby Society), Richard Sivill (Atherton Heritage), Joe Taylor (Billinge History Society), Glenys McClellan (Leigh Family History Society), Ken Barston (Stubshaw Cross Residents Group), Alex Miller (Wigan MBC), Eileen Walsh & Eileen Bithel (BETA),
Five members of Friends of Mesnes Park.
Guest Speaker - Anna Hetterley & colleague Steve (Carbon Landscape Project).
Apologies
Peter Fleetwood (Save Wigan), Peter Taylor (Civic Trust), Lynda Jackson (Wigan MBC), David Shallcross (Leigh Ornithological Society), Tom Price (Civic Trust),John O’Neill (Greenheart),
John O’Neill phoned in to remind members that the Waterloo Memorial opening ceremony will take place at 3.00 p.m. August 26.
Minutes of the last meeting (July 3rd): .Visit to Mesnes Park - no minutes.
Presentation: by Anna Hetterley
Anna gave a detailed presentation regarding the Carbon Landscape Project, which aims to reconnect people to their landscapes and nature. It is resourced by Lancashire Wild Life Trust, led by Manchester University’s School of Environment, Education & Development and made possible with a £2 million grant from Heritage Lottery.
The project covers a wide area, between Wigan, Warrington and Salford and aims to restore elements of the carbon landscape and reconnect them with the communities who live alongside then, while improving access, learning opportunities and skills. It is a five year project and already 22 projects within it have started to date. More information can be found online and there is Fecebook page and a Twitter account.
Anna answered questions from members and was thanked by the chair for a very worthwhile, informative presentation.
It is to be hoped that she will return with an update some time in the future.
Members Reports:
Alex Miller
?Museums and Archives will have new opening times from Monday 21 August–
please see the websites for more details at: https://www.wigan.gov.uk/Resident/Museums-archives/Museum-of-Wigan-Life/visiting-the-museum.aspx
?Leigh For All, Heritage Open Day, will be running again on Saturday 9 September,
free tours and activities on and around the Civic Square in Leigh, including
brass bands, vintage cars and bus tours and a WWII military display
?The Archives & Leigh Local Studies searchroom has now moved to a much larger
and improved location on the ground floor of Leigh Town Hall – all resources
are as before for visitors and volunteers, but we now have a much larger space
for everyone to spread out!
R J SIVILL .
ATHERTON HERITAGE SOCIETY
The talks for the next three meetings are:-
12th Sept. Buccaneers
10th Oct. Sex and Sin in 17th Century Lancashire
14th Nov. Boat people of the Leeds/Liverpool Canal.
The Society meets at the Jubilee Hall which is the parish hall of St. Richard’s
Church. The Club is now closed and the hall closed. The Society would have difficulty
in finding a suitable alternative should this happen.
ATHERTON PARK
The volunteer group is doing an excellent job in maintain the park.
PASSCHENDAELE
I went to Belgium in July for the commemorations of the Battle of Passchendaele
in 1917 in which my father took part, in addition we have a family member named
on the Menin Gate and another buried in the China Wall Cemetery. The authorities
kindly opened Passchendaele Church for us so that we could observe the memorial
window to the 66th East Lancashire Division which contains the town shields
of Wigan, Leigh, Bury, Bolton, Accrington, Manchester, Chester, Blackburn, Burnley,
Padiham, Bacup and Todmorden
AOB
Eileen Bithell & Eileen Walsh handed out copies of "The Battle of Passchendaele" booklet.
Neil Forshaw gave a 1936 map of Wigan town centre with all the shop names on to Alex for the archives.
Avis thanked everyone for attending and closed the meeting.
Next Meeting: September 25th