Town Mayor Cllr Colin banks points to the Mayoress medallion on the exhibition panel

Exhibition records 50 years of council history

A new exhibition has opened at Knutsford Heritage Centre to mark the 50th anniversary of the town council.

Knutsford Town Council was created in 1974 through local government reorganisation which dissolved the Knutsford Urban District Council and created a new parish (town) council for Knutsford alongside a new Macclesfield District (Borough) Council. This was part of reform across the whole of the country.

The exhibition takes a decade-by-decade look at the work of Knutsford Town Council showing things that have changed and things that haven’t. The exhibition was put together by Town Clerk, Adam Keppel-Green who scoured the minutes of the council from 1974 to paint a picture of the council’s activity.

“It was fascinating to delve deeper into the work of the town council over the last fifty years as recounted through the minutes of meetings” Adam said.

“There has been a recurring theme of frustration at things outside local control, poor service standards from the borough/county council and a number of problems that haven’t been properly resolved for the town – such as debates over pedestrianisation and parking.”

The exhibition aims to highlight the role of the council in supporting the town over the last five decades and showing how the council changed.

“The central theme that is shown in the timeline we’ve created is that the council has consistently looked to address the local issues of the day, has been closely involved in planning matters and has had a long chain of councillors who have worked to make Knutsford a better place for all.” Adam added.

The exhibition includes a complete list of the 114 town councillors who have served over the last fifty years – compiled for the first time – and features a number of photographs across the decade themed boards. The exhibition also displays a small number of mementoes from the council’s history.

Town Mayor, Cllr Colin Banks visited the Heritage Centre to view the exhibition and said “We know not everyone will get excited about a council turning 50, but this exhibition aims to highlight the council’s role in serving the town. It’s an opportunity to recognise the importance of having a strong voice representing Knutsford and working for its constant betterment.”

The exhibition is available to view at Knutsford Heritage Centre until August. The Heritage Centre is open every Thursday, Friday and Saturday 11am to 4pm.

A cinema screen showing Bill Cowburn as the credits roll

Documentary tells the story of Knutsford during World War II

Knutsford: Tales of War features interviews with four Knutsfordians who lived in the town through the Second World War as they recount their memories of what life in the town was like.

The film was launched with a special screening at Curzon on Wednesday 17th April where the interviewees and their families were invited to see the film on the big screen.

Enid Leigh, Edith Chadwick, Tony Leadbeater and Bill Cowburn starred in the film, sharing their experiences of seeing prisoners of war, the American troops on the Heath and paratroopers training over Tatton Park. It was presented by Val Dawson and produced by 7Video.

The project was delivered by Knutsford Town Council with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund. The project aimed to record the memories of those who lived through the war and create an engaging video to ensure their stories would be seen by as many as possible. It is hoped it will be used by schools as part of teaching about the war and conflict generally.

As part of the project, a team of volunteers were trained in oral history recording and it is hoped that this will spur similar future projects. The film features archive colour footage of Knutsford from 1944 and of paratroopers training in Tatton Park.

Speaking at the launch event, Town Mayor, Cllr Peter Coan reflected that due to the passage of time many who lived during the 1939-1945 war were no longer with us, “This serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of projects like this, collecting the history stored in people’s memories, before it is too late”

Speaking after the film was launched, Cllr Coan added “I was blown away by this personal recounting of life in Knutsford during the war and the incredible colour footage of the town. It was a delight to share the premiere with the stars and their families and I sincerely hope all viewers find this film as interesting and thought provoking as I did.”

The film can be watched for free on the Town Council website at: www.knutsfordtowncouncil.gov.uk/tales-of-war 

Canute Place in 1946

Volunteers sought for memories project

Knutsford Town Council is starting an exciting short project to create a documentary style film telling the story of Knutsford during World War II and is calling for volunteers to take part.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund funded project ‘Memories of World War II’ was originally planned for 2020 to mark the 75th anniversary of the end of the conflict. The project, which will see the council working closely with Knutsford Heritage Centre, aims to record the memories of those who remember Knutsford during the late 1930s/1940s.

The Town Council is first looking to recruit a team of volunteers to lead the interviews. The volunteers will firstly be given training in oral history interviews by Dr Michaela Hulme, an award-winning historian and lecturer in public history at the University of Birmingham who just happens to have previously lived next door to the late Knutsford historian Joan Leach.

The three-hour training session will be delivered on Saturday 9th October at 1pm and help the volunteers understand memory, the oral history process and how to conduct effective interviews.

Those interested in becoming an interviewer for the project can read more about it and sign up at www.knutsfordtowncouncil.gov.uk/memories-project.

With the ongoing support of Michaela, the volunteers will then be assigned to conduct interviews with those who come forward to share their memories. Each interview will capture part of Knutsford’s history and form a learning and research resource for future generations. Interviews will then be edited into a 1-hour film that weaves together a story of life during around the time of the war.

“This project looks to ensure that what is currently just in living memory is captured and preserved for future generations” said Town Clerk Adam Keppel-Green. “It’s about recording the stories, the memories of the sights and sounds and adding to the rich tapestry of the town’s social history”

The Town Council is also appealing for anyone who would like to be interviewed as part of the project. If you or someone you know has memories of Knutsford from the 1930s/40s (no matter how small or insignificant they may feel they are) please register their interest in taking part by contacting 01565 653 929 or email enquiries@knutsfordtowncoucnil.gov.uk.