The appeal, which now stands at £916,000 towards a target of £970,000, presents a further programme of events:
Visit our updated appeal website www.stbridgetsappeal.co.uk
It contains news, photographs, background to the appeal and up-to-date information on events.
Can you help with events or contribute to the appeal?
If so ring Phil Price on 625-7959 or Martin Harrison on 625-8535
News
Ashton Park Teashop
Saturdays 2 - 4pm
Pop by and enjoy the rejuvenated delights of our own classic town park over a cup of tea. Teas now served on Saturday afternoons in Ashton Park with the agreement of The Friends of Ashton Park. Volunteers - Sue Harrison 0151 625 8535.
Dee-licious
Our new recipe book is selling like hot cakes!
Have you got your copy - available from local shops and restaurants, price £5, or contact 0151 625 1234 rodtann@btinternet.com
Painting "Walk by the Dee" by David Sheppard (Bishop of Liverpool from 1975 to 1997). Reproduced by kind permission of his widow Grace.
Events
All events will take place in St Bridgets Church, West Kirby, CH48 7HL at 7.30pm unless stated.
First Wednesday Talks
Admission on the door £5 except 1st February talk The Battle of Brunanburh where advance purchase is strongly recommended.
1st February
The Battle of Brunanburh by Professor Stephen Harding
Professor Harding has been instrumental in raising our awareness of Wirrals Viking ancestry and has written or co-authored books on the subject Wirral and Its Viking Heritage, Ingimunds Saga: Norwegian Wirral, Viking Mersey as well as working with others on the study of Viking DNA. Professor Harding presented our opening First Wednesday Lecture in February 2008 covering Wirrals Viking Past. He returns to talk on the Battle of Brunanburh a pivotal event in the fortunes of our Norse settlers and the emerging English nation. Booking is strongly recommended for this event as interest is likely to be high. Tickets £5 from Pipedreams, 99, Banks Road, West Kirby or Martin Harrison on 625-8535.
7th March
The Art of Stained Glass: the Work of Charles Kempe and Glass Artists in the Wirral and Cheshire Area by David Cummings
David Cummings only became interested in stained glass a few years ago when a Charles Kempe window at his Church in Christleton was damaged and needed repair. Since then he has researched the history of stained glass and visited churches all over the country and viewed Charles Kempe windows the man who was responsible for most of the windows in St Bridgets Church.
4th April
West Kirby Residential School by Marilyn Josey
A special school has stood on Meols Drive since 1899 when the old building was erected to house the Childrens Convalescent Home. Marilyn Josey, Head of Support Services, will present a talk on West Kirby Residential School upto the present day including its current role.
2nd May
A History of Transport in Wirral by Glynn Parry
Glynn Parry, formerly of Wirral Museums Service, will take us through a century of public transport on Wirral from the first ferries in the 14th century, to the worlds first successful tramway and the Mersey Railway tunnel.
6th June The Delights of Historic New Brighton by Joy Hockey
Joy Hockey, architect, Chair of Wallasey Historical Society and native of New Brighton talks on the development of New Brighton and samples some of the key moments in the life of this seaside resort.
4th July
Storeton Quarries and its Tramway by Gavin Hunter
One of our regular and most popular speakers, Gavin Hunter returns to give an illustrated talk on the unique quarries at Storeton which were worked from Roman times to the present day. The quarry with its tramway to Bromborough Dock has supplied stone for buildings across Wirral, including Birkenhead Town Hall and as far afield as the Empire State Building in New York.
Other Events
Saturday, 31st March
Plant Sale and Refreshments in Ashton Park
Good quality nursery-grown bedding plants and perennials for sale. A great way to start your garden restocking and fill those empty spaces. Combine this with a cup of coffee and buy a jar of marmalade, jam or chutney and a cake from our stall and enjoy a gentle stroll round the park.
Time: 11.30 4.00. Venue: Ashton Park Lower Park by bowling green and teashop.
Monday, 7th May
Ashton Park May Fair
West Kirbys family event of the year! Visit the St Bridgets Appeal marquee at a fabulous event featuring fairground attractions, stalls, belly dancers, singers, pony rides, refreshments, plant sales and lots more set against the beauty of Ashton Park. St Bridgets Church with its Viking hogback stone and Kempe stained glass windows will be open in the afternoon. Fitting out work in the Charles Dawson Brown Museum will probably prevent opening till later in 2012. For details or to book a stall contact Dave Wade on 0151-625-6194..
Time: 10.00 4.00 pm. Venue: Ashton Park and Westbourne Hall.
Saturday, 19th May
Capriccio Singers
The Capriccio Singers return, once again, to St Bridgets Church bringing a varied repertoire of music to suit all tastes with their own brand of fun! Church music from all periods interspersed with nursery rhymes, folk songs, songs from the shows and contemporary songs.
Time: 7.30. Venue: St Bridgets Church
Saturday, 30th June
St Bridgets Summer Fair
A great day out for all the family packed with activities and fun brass band, tombola, home made cakes, jams and chutneys, teas, bouncy castle, coconut shy, raffle, strawberries and cream and lots more.
Time: 1.45 -4.00 pm. Venue: Rectory Field by St Bridgets Church.
Reopening
Our redevelopment is scheduled to be completed on 20th April and we hope to celebrate the completion of works in late May with a Formal Opening and a Community Open Day so that you can view our new centre and meet the people who will run it for Church and community in the future. If you are interested in using the new centre please contact Martin Harrison on 625-8535 or Paula Cobby at the Parish Office on 625-2739. If you wish to view progress on the works go to www.stbridgetsappeal.co.uk/PROGRESS/index.html
Charles Dawson Brown Museum
Founded in 1892 in memory of a local benefactor, the museum is housed in the St Bridgets Centre. It holds stone artefacts from various periods of the Churchs history and items reflecting Church and local history. The old museum room is being refurbished as part of the wider project and an additional room added so that presentation will be less cramped and interpretation added. On completion of the main project the Museum Group will be refitting the museum with new displays and interpretation and more information on St Bridgets Church and local history and open it to a wider audience drawn from the local community, visitors, academics and schools. We hope to complete work during the summer but to achieve this we need to raise funds specifically for the museum project from donations, grants or trust funds. If you can help in any way please contact Martin Harrison on 0151-625-8535.
Our Thanks
Our thanks to all those who have contributed to the appeal, supported events, performed for us, worked on design and development and helped in other ways. We have come a long way since October 2006 when we started fund-raising without you it would not have been possible.
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