Leiston Press

Heritage Open Days

New Year Honours – festival favourites (Tue, 02 Jan 2024)
New Year is a time for lists, resolutions and honours; so reflecting on last year and thinking about what highlights lie ahead, we’ve come up with an alternative Honours list. To get you thinking about what catches attention, here are some events that proved firm favourites for the team and media in 2023… Each year we keep an eye out for those entries that really sparkle - the images that catch…
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Can you believe what you see? (Wed, 06 Dec 2023)
Come closer, these images will be worth a second look! From a smoking urn to a hallway hiding in a cupboard, turns out you definitely shouldn't believe everything you first see! Two of the National Trust's curators have seven wonderful optical illusions to share from amongst their curious collections. Enjoy! Written by… Katie Knowles, Assistant National Curator for Engagement, National Trust and Dr Hannah Mawdsley, Property Curator for Ham House…
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A look back at New Wave 2023 (Thu, 23 Nov 2023)
We had so much fun working with fourteen wonderful organisers across England this year as part of New Wave. The result was a jam-packed programme of unique events reflecting the passions of the young people involved: from creative competitions to LGBTQIA+ safe spaces – and plenty of snacks!  Here's a recap of what happened this year. The 2023 Programme This year’s New Wave programme saw fourteen organisations produce a range of distinct, unique events together…
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Disability History: ‘Any Work’ at the Mill (Thu, 16 Nov 2023)
Think of a Victorian mill working at full tilt - it's big, noisy, terrible working conditions that damaged the health of workers. But look closer at those workers, and we find examples of how disabled people have always been a valued part of the team.  A brilliant exhibition at Leeds Industrial Museum explores these histories, shining a light on overlooked voices from the past, and inviting disabled artists today to respond to them.  Read on for a…
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Sunderland Culture (Thu, 09 Nov 2023)
This year Sunderland Museum & Winter Gardens hosted a special Pride Party interwoven with the traditional craft of proggy. This innovative event was co-created with young people as long term festival participants, Sunderland Culture, joined our New Wave programme.  Written by... Jennie Lambert, Public Learning and Engagement Manager, Sunderland Culture, Tyne & Wear Over the past 14 years I have been involved in running traditional Heritage Open Days events such as guided bus tours,…
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Buckinghamshire Archives - Treasures of the dark tower! (Mon, 06 Nov 2023)
Think archives are just full of dusty old documents? Think again! Creaking open the door of their 'dark fortress' Callum from Buckinghamshire Archives is here to give us a peek at some of their treasures. From truly 'delicious' (?!) documents to delightful doodles, with some alarming discoveries and curious mysteries to boot - archives really are awesome! Written by… Callum Walker, Community Engagement Officer, Buckinghamshire Archives Archives are an invaluable tool…
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Festival Review 2023 (Thu, 02 Nov 2023)
This year’s festival began in unexpected Summer heat and ended in Autumn rain, but the odd weather didn’t wilt or dampen festival spirits. Our largest community of local organisers ever set up 5,282 events; ranging from big open days at sites like the BFI National Archive, and exclusive tours of hidden places such as Burnley Empire, to video shorts about the arts of the inland waterways. This year's festival helped 923,000 visitors…
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BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir (Tue, 31 Oct 2023)
A Hindu place of worship in a modern building, beautifully decorated with traditional designs, welcomed many eager visitors over Heritage Open Days for the first time this year. Careful planning to engage a large new team of volunteers, ranging in age from 11-70+, meant they could spend more time with visitors enriching the experience for all. Written by... Manni Dhokia, Volunteer, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Manchester  Why we take part {image1}…
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The South Asia Collection (Wed, 25 Oct 2023)
A collection of art and crafts from South Asia and neighbouring countries, housed in an extraordinary old building has been opening its doors to festival visitors since 2015. Heritage Open Days (HODs) provides a valuable platform for the expert team to highlight their work and draw in new audiences, whose feedback helps shape future plans. Trish Mercer-David, The South Asia Collection, Norfolk Why we take part To engage with…
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Take 5 with the Team (Thu, 19 Oct 2023)
Now that the bunting has been packed away, and the festival buzz has slowly subsided for another year it's the perfect time to take a step back and reflect on another fantastic festival and share some of our plans for the winter months. From filtering through feedback to future proofing our festival, go grab a cuppa, here's 5 things we've been working on behind the scenes over the last few weeks! Festival feedback…
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Creativity Unwrapped - a miscellany (Fri, 06 Oct 2023)
Actors, choral singers, circus owners and steel pan musicians; all part of our rich creative story. This year we’ve been unwrapping the history of creativity and for Black History Month wanted to share a snapshot of just some of the stories to be found across England. Let the band play on The musical heritage of the steel pan sound was celebrated in Luton and Leeds this year with events exploring the…
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Heatherfield Heritage (Wed, 04 Oct 2023)
Traditional skills don't have to be lost in the past. To demonstrate this Heatherfield Heritage's eclectic team (including painters, carpenters, mechanics and much more!) took a punt with an online offering for their first Heritage Open Days. Overcoming challenges they created a series of bitesize videos showcasing the stories and craft behind the arts of our inland waterways, with a lighthearted touch that proved popular. Kerry Dainty, Heatherfield Heritage We had no preconception as…
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Lamport Hall & Gardens (Tue, 03 Oct 2023)
This beautiful Historic House in Northamptonshire offered that little something extra over their first Heritage Open Days, which drew in the crowds. Inspired by our work with Icon they ran a Conservation Unlocked event with experts in stained glass, gilding, books, and textiles to showcase all the different conservation work done at this beautiful site with a world class collection. Eleanor Carter, Head of Revenue Development, Lamport Hall Preservation Trust Ltd, Northamptonshire…
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Take 5 with the Team: festival travels 2023 (Fri, 22 Sep 2023)
Blazing sunshine heralded the start of our festival, though it blew out in Autumnal style. All the team were able to get out and about this year though, to meet up with organisers and see events in action, so, whilst we gather our breath before planning the next chapter, we thought we'd take 5 with you and share some highlights. Alongside managing the social media channels and taking turns with 'helpdesk duty'…
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Take 5 With the Team (Wed, 20 Sep 2023)
Hello, I'm Maddy and I’ve been the Volunteer Web Content Creator for Heritage Open Days this year! My job has been to write the Festival Spotlight posts, and it’s been so much fun to ferret around in the warren of the 5000 strong-events registry to pick out some of the best that HODs has to offer.  Having lived in Norfolk for the last seven years, I’ve grown used to seeing those pink…
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How was your HODs? (Mon, 18 Sep 2023)
Over 10 days, thousands of amazing people have welcomed visitors to over 5,000 events celebrating our history and culture.  A huge THANK YOU goes out to everyone involved; to all of you who visited and especially to all who made those visits possible. We'd love to hear how it all went! We hope you enjoyed the festival and look forward to hearing all about your experiences. Every bit of feedback counts and…
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Online Events (Thu, 14 Sep 2023)
Has an event ever caught your eye, only to discover that it’s taking place on the other side of the country? Luckily we have a huge range of online events for you to browse at your leisure! Whether you’re a sweet-toothed Geordie who can’t get to London’s Chocolate Museum, or a Brummie with a love of marginalia but no time to visit Devon’s historical book exhibition, we’ve got you covered. Collections…
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Still To Come (Tue, 12 Sep 2023)
Don't Fret - it's not over yet! Heritage Open Days is officially in full swing, with thousands of events taking place all across the country! Not had a chance to get out there yet? No stress, there’s still loads of incredible opportunities to get involved - online and in person. From castles and gardens to lifeboat stations and limeworks, have a look at some of our top events that…
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Thousands of Events Still to Come (Tue, 12 Sep 2023)
The country’s largest festival of history and culture is here with a packed programme of free events - and it’s not too late to get involved  Heritage Open Days (HODs) may be well underway but there are still over 3,000 opportunities left to attend free events and activities across the country across the second half of the festival. Brought to you by the National Trust, supported by players of People’s Postcode…
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Creativity Unwrapped (Wed, 06 Sep 2023)
What gives England’s heritage the X-factor?! From monastic architecture to modern street art; morris dancing to Regency balls; a house of fashion to the theatrical stage, and so – much – more! This year we’re unwrapping the colourful history of creativity but with so much to explore, where to start? Let’s break it down with a highlight list from a-z! Art and design {image1} The Amazing Colour Makers…
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