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Events Updated
Our events page has been updated for 2024 and 2025. {added 14/07/2024}
BEFORE YOU CONTACT THE SOCIETY, PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING...
Denton Local History Society – Archive Storage etc.
Added 07-03-2024
Since the society was formed in 1978, we have built up a considerable archive of documents, artefacts, maps and photographs etc, which are stored in a room at The Festival Hall in Denton, which was allocated by the council for our use.
As well as our monthly meeting with a speaker, we had a monthly workshop meeting there, where members could do research and we prepared for exhibitions etc.
In 2020, that all came to a halt. Firstly, it was the lockdowns. Then we were barred access because the building was being used for Covid vaccinations. After that, the place was turned into a building site, whilst work was done to make it more carbon friendly. Then, Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue surveyed the building as a whole and concluded that there was a fire risk on the top floor where we are situated. Since then, there has been a partial ceiling collapse in the part of the building which used to house the library and which, latterly, was being used by NHS staff. The situation has dragged on and we have been told nothing from official sources since December 2022.
We are only allowed into the room to drop things off and pick things up, under staff supervision. We cannot stay to do any work or research.
Over the years, we have staged annual exhibitions, with parties of school children being given a talk and allowed to look round and touch things they hadn’t seen before . The general public were able to visit in the afternoons. We have supported civic events, and helped schools with local history projects. We have produced a number of books. We get enquiries from people from near and far, doing family history. All this came to a stop and it is very frustrating.
We still have our meetings with speakers, at a different venue and details can be found on our website www.dentonlocalhistorysociety.co.uk
We have heard on the grapevine, but not told officially, that a Levelling Up Grant has been awarded to Denton, which includes necessary work and improvements to The Festival Hall. We have no idea how long that will take.
The list of people who have been waiting for information from us is now quite extensive. So, we would ask all those in that position to keep an eye on our website and contact us again when we are more likely to be able to help. We will do our best to keep people up to date that way.
Allan Arrowsmith, Deputy Chairman, February 2024.
Events
New events added October 2023 onwards.
