Blackburn BID (Business Improvement District) Manager, Harriet Roberts has praised the Councillors and staff at Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council for making sure the town’s civic buildings are open for business with free activities for the public at this year’s heritage festival.
The Blackburn Heritage Festival takes place on Saturday, 12 and Sunday, 13 September and features special Heritage Open Day activities at venues across the town.
There’s an opportunity to meet the Mayor, Cllr Faryad Hussain, at the Town Hall on Saturday from 10am – 4pm with special opening times of the Parlour and Council Chambers.
Visitors will also be able to find out about the £3 million regeneration scheme funded by the Heritage Lottery and Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council that could see the restoration of heritage buildings and public space in the area including King Georges Hall, the Blakey Moor Block, Northgate and Lord Street West properties.
The festival programme includes an exhibition, consultation, demos, talks and tours around the theme of preserving Blackburn’s heritage buildings.
Blackburn Museum will be launching ‘Cotton to Gold’, an exhibition which opened in London earlier this year and has recently received rave reports in the national press. The riveting exhibition showcases the riches gathered by the great collector-philanthropists of the booming industrial North West.
A programme of activities at Blackburn Library will include Bygone Blackburn, an exhibition of photographs of the town in years gone by, an archive tour and screenings of some of the early films by Mitchell and Kenyon.
BID Manager and festival organiser, Harriet Roberts said, ‘The town’s real treasure is in these wonderful historic buildings and I’m delighted that the powers that be, have pulled out the stops to make sure the public can explore the heritage on their doorstep with a range of really exciting events this year.’
Councillor Phil Riley, Executive Member for Regeneration, said: “These buildings are part of the rich history and heritage of Blackburn and it is great that all visitors will be given a chance to see them and have a look around. This looks set to be a great festival and I am obviously very pleased that the Council can play a part in it.”
For more information visit www.blackburnheritage.com
