Knutsford Promenades returns next week, from Thursday 6th September, with its Heritage Open Days programme for 2018.
Now in its sixth year, the annual multi-site, multi-event heritage and culture festival continues to break new ground.
This year the community association has teamed up with the Mid-Cheshire Community Rail Partnership to put on a festival of community theatre, talks and walks, displays and historic sites relating to local women who have shaped history.
One of the highlights of this year’s outing is a very special performance taking place on a train (read on for more on this!)
“The national Heritage Open Days theme is Extraordinary Women and we’re celebrating two former Knutsford residents, the writers Elizabeth Gaskell and Alison Uttley, with a whole range of themed events,” explained Sarah Flannery, chair of Knutsford Promenades.
“We have two very significant keynote presentations, one on Alison Uttley and one on Charles Tunnicliffe RA, her favourite illustrator.”
She added: “Fans of Mrs Gaskell will really enjoy events such as Mrs Gaskell’s Picnic at Tabley House; a special talk at Brook Street Chapel on how Mrs Gaskell’s famous biography of her friend Charlotte Bronte came about.
“This will be supported with artefacts from the Whitfield Collection; a rare opportunity to visit her childhood home; the chance to see where she got married – and a copy of her marriage certificate – at St John’s Church; and Miss Matty’s Tea and Talk.”
Sarah continued: “Fans of Alison Uttley will enjoy the keynotes, the opportunity to see her former home The Old Vicarage, and an exclusive ‘collection encounter’ of the highlights of her extraordinary archive at John Ryland’s Library in Deansgate.
“Our local Extraordinary Woman, Joan Leach, is also remembered through the special ‘Joan Leach’s Walks’ around town.”
Amongst the other free-to-attend events on offer:
- a tour of Marble Arch
- the Ruskin Rooms, with its special display of Modern Extraordinary Women
- Gertrude Bennett at Knutsford Methodist Church
- Tabley House’s ‘Women of Significance’ exhibition about three exceptional Leicester women
- an art workshop by the artist Nick Thompson who created the ‘Amazing Women’ illustrations
One of the most eagerly anticipated highlights of the festival is a specially commissioned performance piece ‘From Station to Station’.
Developed in collaboration with Mid-Cheshire Community Rail Partnership’s Amazing Women by Rail project, the play imagines a meeting between Elizabeth Gaskell and Alison Uttley in the modern world.
It will be interwoven with ‘appearances’ by other Amazing Women such as: Mary Fildes, Elizabeth Raffald, Helen Allingham, Charlotte Bronte and Emmeline Pankhurst.
The inspiration came from one of Alison Uttley’s most famous novels, A Traveller in Time, which is based on the idea of ‘time slips’.
Sally Buttifant, officer for the Mid-Cheshire Community Rail partnership, said: “One of the most exciting things to emerge from our collaboration was the possibility of showcasing Knutsford’s Amazing Women, Elizabeth Gaskell and Alison Uttley, with many others who have lived in towns connected by the Mid-Cheshire Line.
“It quickly developed into an opportunity to highlight these genuinely amazing women and their legacy right across mid-Cheshire to Manchester and complement our Amazing Women by Rail project, which is about getting people to use the train to explore local attractions and enjoy marvellous days out.”
From Station to Station will be performed twice in Knutsford (at Brook Street Chapel where Elizabeth Gaskell is laid to rest alongside her husband William and two of their children).
It will also be performed on the train from Chester to Manchester – literally linking communities – with a finale at Manchester Piccadilly railway station attended by the Lord Mayor of Manchester, Cllr June Hitchen.
The performance will take place on Thursday 13th September on the 1102 train from Chester to Manchester. The journey will take approximately 1.5 hours, and is the normal 1102 service. Standard rail fares will apply.
The props and mobile scenery reflecting the women and their towns have been devised by artist Russell Kirk and produced at a series of community workshops.
These were arranged by Knutsford Promenades and funded by town councils and BIDs along the line.
The professional musicians are led by Clare ‘Fluff’ Smith and the play has been researched, written and directed by Steven Downs (who wrote last year’s hugely successful Regina v Turing and Murray).
Sarah concluded: “Knutsford Promenades is all about bringing our local heritage and culture to life and encouraging visitors to explore our wonderful town.
“We know from past experience that around 50% of visitors come from outside the area.
“Heritage Open Days lets people become tourists on their own doorstep, exploring places they wouldn’t normally see free of charge and boosting the visitor economy.”
“From Station to Station has truly engaged communities along the line.
“And when it’s performed at Manchester Piccadilly in front of the Lord Mayor of Manchester, supported by Knutsford’s Mayor and representatives from the other key towns, we hope we will have achieved our aim of showcasing Knutsford’s amazing women and their connection with the rich cultural powerhouse of women who have shaped history right along the Mid-Cheshire Line.”
All events are free to explore but some need to be pre-booked (some places are still available).
ABOUT
Knutsford Promenades is a community association that devises and curates an annual heritage festival that uses the performing arts, special displays, talks and tours to bring local heritage and culture to life in creative ways that encourage visitors to the town and boost the town’s profile.
Mid-Cheshire Community Rail Partnership was formed in 2003 to promote and develop the rail network in Cheshire for the benefit of local residents, businesses and visitors through a partnership approach, along the Chester – Northwich – Knutsford – Altrincham – Stockport – Manchester line.
