Agatha Christie’s grandson, Mathew Prichard, was at Abney Hall in Cheadle yesterday to unveil a new Information Board that tells the story of his grandmother’s connection to the building and the local area.
The world-famous crime writer’s older sister, Margaret ‘Madge’ Watts, lived in Cheadle for almost 50 years and Abney Hall was one of her homes in the village.
It is said to be one of the main inspirations for the iconic ‘country house’ setting that features so prominently in Christie’s work and several of her books are dedicated to Abney Hall or members of her extended family in Cheadle, including:
· 4.50 from Paddington (Said to be inspired by the layout of the grounds at Abney Hall)
· After the Funeral (A novel that Agatha dedicates to ‘good times at Abney’)
· The Body in the Library (Which Agatha dedicates to ‘Nan’ Watts who was a lifelong friend)
· Hercule Poirot’s Christmas (The plot of which Agatha says was influenced by her brother-in-law, James Watts)
· The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding (In which Agatha gives a detailed dedication to ‘the Christmases of her youth’ at Abney Hall
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The Information Board about Agatha Christie is part of the new Cheadle Heritage Trail, a project by Cheadle Civic Society that has been supported by the Northern Trains Community Project Fund, Manchester Airport’s Community Trust Fund and Jonathan Alcock & Sons Ltd and is designed to bring the village’s history to life.
Each board highlights the story of a place, building or person that has contributed to Cheadle’s story – from historic landmarks to memorable characters.
It includes: Cheadle Green, James ‘Scotch Bob’ Telford, Cheadle Hall, Brooklyn Crescent Park, Cheadle Primary School and the Alcock Family. An information board is also planned for St Mary’s Church on Cheadle High Street.
For more information about the Cheadle Heritage Trail and to download a free leaflet and map, visit: cheadlecivicsociety.uk/heritagetrail.
The unveiling of the Information Board about Agatha Christie is also the latest part of a year-long programme of free events organised by Cheadle Civic Society to celebrate the village’s connection with ‘The Queen of Crime’.
The line-up has included book clubs, walking tours, crime writers panel discussions and creative activities for children at the local library – all of which have been free of charge.
In September, as part of the national Heritage Open Days festival, Cheadle Civic Society will also be organising free tours of Abney Hall for people to learn more about the building and its famous ‘Christie connection’.
For more information about all of the events taking place, visit: cheadlecivicsociety.uk/AgathaChristie
Andrew Frazer, chair of Cheadle Civic Society, said: “The creation of a Cheadle Heritage Trail has been a long-held ambition of the Society and the inclusion of Agatha Christie and her connection to the village was always going to be a highlight.
“To be able to welcome Mathew to the home of his grandmother’s sister to unveil the Information Board about her is a real thrill and we’re very grateful to The Christie Archive Trust for sharing images from their collection to use on the board.
“Likewise, we’d like to thank Manchester Airport, Northern Trains and the Alcock family for their support in helping to make this happen.”
Mathew Prichard said: “My grandmother, Agatha Christie, had many happy times at Abney Hall with her sister, Madge, and the Watts family.
“Thanks to the new Heritage Trail, and the wonderful view of the house and grounds that it presents in front of the information panel, it is possible to imagine how inspiring she found the whole area to be.”
Welcoming Mr Prichard to Abney Hall alongside Cheadle Civic Society was Demi Fletcher from Bruntwood, who has held the lease on the Hall since 1976. Bruntwood has been supporting Cheadle Civic Society with their events this year, providing access for the local community to explore Madge’s home of nearly 25 years.
Sharon Johnson, head of commercial at Bruntwood, said: “Abney Hall is an important part of Cheadle’s history and we’re delighted to support the Cheadle Civic Society in helping more people discover its connection to Agatha Christie. It’s been great to welcome Mathew Prichard to the Hall and to see the story of both the building and the local area brought to life through the Heritage Trail.”
Carolyn Watson, Northern’s director of stakeholder and community engagement, said: “We proudly support the Cheadle Heritage Trail as it’s a brilliant project which allows people to immerse themselves in the village’s rich history. The new information boards look fantastic and I’m sure lots of people will enjoy learning all about the history of the buildings, locations and people – including Agatha Christie – that are part of Cheadle’s story.”
Helen McNabb, a trustee of the Manchester Airport Community Trust Fund, said: “We were thrilled to attend the opening of this important community asset, which we have partially funded. Manchester Airport’s Community Trust Fund aims to ensure that local communities share in the benefits of having a major international hub on their doorstep and invests more than £100,000 every year into community groups and not-for-profit projects.”
Other partners on the Cheadle Heritage Trail project have included copywriting by Katy Ratican, graphic design by Seb Ward, planning application logistics by Barnes Walker, information board production and installation by Hartbrights and the Trail leaflet print by MPD.
Cheadle Civic Society has plans to extend the Trail in the future, with a number of additional locations in the village already identified as suitable for their own Information Boards.
