An energetic local history society has published recent memories of a 1,000-year-old Ellesmere Port village.
Little Sutton Memories, the latest in a series of fascinating glimpses into the town’s past from Ellesmere Port Local and Family History Society, was published at a launch party held at Little Sutton Methodist Church before a packed audience.
It proved an instant hit as following the official ‘ribbon-cutting’ ceremony by new town mayor Karen Shore and MP Justin Madders a record 100 books were immediately snapped up.
Mr Madders, who had already enjoyed an advance read of the book, praised its content and its importance in recording the village’s history over the last 200 years or so for future generations.
The book is packed full of people’s memories. Over the past 18 months, 60 local people were interviewed for their memories and many more contributed photographs and other memorabilia putting the village’s stories firmly down on paper.
It has seen society members working tirelessly on researching, interviewing, writing, obtaining photographic images, collating and proof reading the book made up of something like 70,000 words and 180 photographic images, all depicting life and people’s memories of the village in a bygone era.
The 146-page, colourful and fully illustrated A4-sized volume was created by a team of Suttonites led by Ian Grove.
Copies, priced £12, are available from the National Waterways Museum, the town’s libraries including Little Sutton and Trinity Methodist Church on Whitby Road.
Some of the images are on display in The Port Arcades and books will be on sale there for Veterans’ Day on Saturday, June 23 from 10am to 3pm with further sales dates to be announced.
The venture is non profit making with all proceeds to be devoted to future historical studies within the town.
The next books in the pipeline by members of the society are on Poole Hall and Bowaters and Whitby Village. These are currently being researched and people are invited to contribute by writing to Celia Webber at the National Waterways Museum.
Reprints of the previous Whitby Road and Cromwell Road Memories books are due later this year, both of which sold out and are regularly being asked for.
The society meets regularly in the Tom Rolt Conference Centre at the waterways museum on the third Tuesday of the month, except July and August, with the doors opening at 7pm for a 7.30pm start.
