AN innovative local history centre is to open in Worcester on Saturday aimed at bringing the city’s rich heritage to the masses.
The History and Heritage Pod!, a free drop-in facility in Crowngate shopping centre, is a joint initiative between Worcester Civic Society and the centre’s management and will serve as a free research and meeting hub for anyone to use.
At its heart are the many thousands of cuttings files and photographic negatives Newsquest was unable to accommodate when the Worcester News downsized its headquarters from Hylton Road to Redhill last year.
The Civic Society stepped in to take them over and a team of volunteers spent several days removing the boxes of historically valuable newspaper cuttings, photographs and back copies which had accumulated in the 55 years the News was at its riverside HQ.
Civic Society chairman Phil Douce said: “We managed to find temporary locations to store what we salvaged, but the intention was always to bring the collection together in one place.
“As it happened, I was just thinking of the next step when I received a telephone call from Mike Lloyd, the manager of Crowngate. He explained he had a vacant unit on a prominent corner site opposite frozen food specialist Iceland and was looking to put it to community use. Had I any ideas? The timing couldn’t have been better.”
Mike Lloyd, Crowngate manager (left), and Phil Douce, Worcester Civic Society chairman, with the 36ft long timeline of Worcester through the ages
Mr Lloyd added: “I’m a local person, having spent my childhood in Avon Road and gone to school at Elgar High and I have always been interested in what makes up the history of Worcester.
"As a retail centre we are always looking to engage with the public and offer that bit extra and this seemed a very good way of using space.
“The unit is in a good footfall area as it is next to the pedestrian access to the multi-storey car park and also the exit that leads to The Hive, which is only about 150 yards away. We have done a complete renovation and I hope it proves a great success.”
Along one wall is a huge 36ft by 5ft timeline of the major event’s in Worcester’s history, which was originally commissioned for the city’s 400th royal charter anniversary last year, but is now on public display for the first time.
Students Georgia Davis(right) and Charlotte Taylor with the Worcester Revealed display at the Pod, which covers interesting happenings ancient and modern
There are also striking display boards by renowned local artist David Birtwhistle, who is the Civic Society’s president, and a comprehensive Calendar of Events, which is being compiled by the Civic Society to note significant events which occurred on every day of the year in Worcester.
“Most of all we want the Pod to be a place people use,” said Phil. “They can drop by to drink their coffee or eat their sandwiches, groups and societies can meet here at no charge and by appointment anyone is welcome to look through the vast array of historic material we have. We must have at least half a million old photographic negatives and cuttings files on a wide range of local topics.”
- The History and Heritage Pod in CrownGate, Worcester, will be opened on Saturday, November 6, at 10am. The Pod is open every day during the centre’s normal shopping hours. For details on accessing historic files contact: info@worcestercivicsociety.com
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