Heritage Open Days 2006
o New programme of character walks introduced for 2006
o 08 Place hosts ‘talking suitcases’ exhibition on Welsh history
o TV’s David Dickinson to appear at St George’s Hall on Saturday
AN EXTENDED eleven-day Heritage Open Days programme launches Thursday September 7th 2006
Historic buildings across Merseyside will be opening their doors for free, allowing the public to sample the rich cultural and architectural offerings right on their doorstep.
And this year it’s not just classical greats like St George’s Hall and the Royal Liver Building on show; modern icons including Anfield and Goodison football stadiums and even the Society nightclub on Duke Street are in the programme.
One of the highlights of this year’s programme is a visit by TV’s David Dickinson to the St George’s Hall open day on Saturday, September 9. The Bargain Hunt star will be hosting a special antique and collectable valuation event, which will be filmed for broadcast later in the year.
New for Heritage Open Days 2006 is a programme of special walks and tours around Merseyside’s historic sites, led by ’08 Performance Guides’ – tour guides dressed in period costume. Walks include “Meet yer down the Cavern” – led by a character from the time of the Beatles’ early success and “Back to the beginning” – a conversation with Bertha Archer, wife of Britain’s first Black Mayor.
Continuing the heritage theme, the 08 Place in Whitechapel is hosting a brand new exhibition celebrating Liverpool’s Welsh roots.
The Eloquent Suitcase exhibition features 12 suitcases, each containing a speaker telling an individual story about the Welsh experience in Liverpool, accompanied by specially-composed music by Welsh composer Andrew Griffiths. The 08 Place will also be stocking copies of the Welsh Roots/Welsh Routes produced by Community Spirit in conjunction with Phil Cope. The exhibition opens at the 08 Place tomorrow (September 7), where staff will be serving special Welsh cakes – or ‘Picau ar y mean’ – and will be on show until September 16, after which it will move to Liverpool Cathedral.
The Heritage Open Days brochure is available from tourist information centres, visitor attractions, and the 08 Place. Full details are also available on the Liverpool Culture Company’s website: www.liverpool08.com/AboutLiverpool/WorldHeritage/HeritageOpenDays/index.asp