Undeterred by last week’s fire, the Friends of Wythenshawe Hall group welcome the public to their pop-up event space this coming bank holiday weekend.
A special day of free events will continue as planned on Easter Monday, 28 March, midday until 4pm, moving the attractions into the grounds of the Hall.
The friends group will be dressed in traditional costume, taking visitors on a journey through the decades to experience their new Victorian Classroom – so brush up on those times tables and escape the dunces corner!
Continuing the heritage theme, the whole family will enjoy the Punch and Judy shows throughout the day, and young visitors can fill their baskets during a treasure hunt or try their creative eye with the Easter themed craft table. For music lovers, the dulcet tones of the Ukuhalee Ukulele band will provide the perfect soundtrack to the bank holiday.
Local people are invited to share their stories of Wythenshawe Hall as the friends group regale visitors with their passion for the historic property, sharing the history and their own memories of the Hall.
The Friends of Wythenshawe Hall Group are redoubling their efforts to ensure the future of the Hall, relocating their operation to the Horticultural Centre in Wythenshawe Park for the time being.
Always looking for new recruits, any interested people are welcome to be part of the group.
The fire, which largely affected rooms in central second floor section of the Hall, broke out overnight last Tuesday, 15 March, with ten fire engines attending the scene.
Although the extent of damage to artefacts inside the building is still being investigated, the majority of the furniture belonging to the Friends’ group has been successfully moved to undamaged areas of the building.
This includes a four poster bed, built in the United States with the Tatton family crest engraved in to it, which was saved by the effort of Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue.
In the coming months, the ambition of the Friends’ group is to install an information centre in the park with details for visitors about the history of the building, the Tatton family who inhabited the property for over 400 years, and general updates about the efforts to restore the property.
Paul Selby, Vice Chair of the Friends of Wythenshawe Hall, said: “The reaction to the fire at the Hall has been utterly humbling for the Friends’ group. The outpouring of support we have received on social media has been overwhelming and we can’t thank the public enough. We are forging on with our plans for our Easter Monday events and we will not be discouraged by the tragic events of last week.
“We would love to see as many local people as possible to come and share their memories of the hall, but, of course, anyone from across the region or further afield will be made incredibly welcome.
“It’s times like these that we see the true spirit of the Manchester community come to the fore, and although it seems like a long and difficult road ahead, we will see the Hall restored and open to the public again.”
