Share memories of old town

Buy photos » Picture courtesy of Redditch Local History Society, Geoff Holmes Collection. (s)

RESIDENTS can record and leave their memories of the ‘old town’ as part of next year’s 50th anniversary commemorations of Redditch being designated a new town.

As part of Redditch Local History Society’s Remembering Lost Redditch project a memories and anniversaries exhibition is being held at the library in the town centre tomorrow (Saturday) between 10am and 4pm to ask residents to help identify streets and landmarks radically altered or swept away by developers.

The event will also see staff and volunteers from the Palace Theatre on hand to collect visitors memories, stories and anecdotes of the range of entertainment held at the Alcester Street venue which celebrates its 100th anniversary in September.

The Jestaminute Community Theatre CIC (JCT) will also be supporting the exhibition as part of its project, Engineering the Past, funded by Heritage Lottery money. The group will be capturing oral histories and memories of Redditch industry from 1939 to 1964. Working with groups like the history society and Trinity High School and its feeder schools, the information will be shared through performance, exhibitions and podcasts later in the year.

Derek Coombes, from RLHS, said the event was an open session and urged residents to contribute their memories to the project.

“Since we launched the Remembering Lost Redditch web site earlier in February we have had around 2,000 hits on the site and many phone calls and emails from residents expressing an interest in the project. We see this exhibition and the start of involving the wider community in the project so we create a lasting archive of the old town.

“The RLHS is very pleased also to be working with the Palace Theatre and the JCT on their projects and it was too good an opportunity not to be missed to have them at this exhibition as well.”

Anyone who cannot make the exhibition but wants to get involved with any of the projects should call Derek Coombes on 01527 404365 or 07860 326582,derek.coombes@blueyonder.co.uk, for the Palace Theatre project Dave Wilkins on 01527 61544 or 07908 976681 or email email bigdave.stories@yahoo.co.uk or Jan or Andy Higgitt at Jestaminute Community Theatre CIC on 01527 514 049 or jestaminute@blueyonder.co.uk. Visit www.redditchheritage.org.uk to view the Lost Redditch website.

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