A VINTAGE Ashton bus, archaeological discoveries and the chance to delve into your family history are among the attractions on offer as Tameside celebrates its heritage this month.
Heritage Open Days will see venues and community groups across the borough opening up opportunities to discover more about the people, places and stories that have shaped Tameside.
The annual event runs from September 11 to 20, with this year’s activities at Portland Basin Museum focusing on the area’s transport heritage.
Visitors to the Ashton-under-Lyne museum will be able to explore objects from its collections alongside archive images charting Tameside’s transport history.
And there will be plenty to get hands-on with when members of Tameside Archaeological Society take over the museum on Saturday, September 12, and Sunday, September 13.
From 10am to 3pm on both days, visitors can chat to members about some of their recent discoveries and get a closer look at a selection of archaeological finds.
Transport enthusiasts will also have something to look forward to when a vintage Ashton bus from the Museum of Transport Greater Manchester pulls into Portland Basin on Wednesday, September 16. The bus will be at the museum from 10am until 4pm.
For anyone more interested in tracing their own history, members of Tameside Local History Forum will run a family history helpdesk at Portland Basin on Saturday, September 19, from 10.30am to 3pm.
But the borough’s heritage programme stretches beyond Heritage Open Days, with the Local Studies and Archives Centre in Ashton also hosting a series of events throughout September.
History enthusiasts can hear John Kidger’s talk, ‘Following the Work: From Repton to Park Bridge’, on Tuesday, September 15, at 2pm. It will explore family life and industry in Park Bridge.
A Heritage Quiz will take place on Wednesday, September 23 at 2pm, followed by ‘Manchester’s Titanic People’ on Tuesday, September 29, looking at the stories of Manchester residents connected to the Titanic.
The month’s programme will finish with a talk about Ashton-born Irish revolutionary Liam Mellows, delivered by the North West Labour History Society on Wednesday, September 30, at 2pm.
There will also be an exhibition by local history group History on Your Doorstep, marking the 150th anniversary of Kenyon’s and its contribution to the area’s history.
Tameside Council’s Executive Member for Lifelong Learning and Culture, Councillor Leanne Feeley, said: “We have a jam-packed month of activities planned to celebrate Tameside’s rich heritage, and we’d love residents to get involved.
“There will be a fantastic range of displays, quizzes, and expert teams taking part. There are plenty of opportunities to discover something new and learn more about our local history. So if this is of interest to you, do come along!”