Events and Activities

No more events are planned. However the many successful events which took place (most of which are listed below) meant that local people got involved and learnt more about the history and stories associated with these cottages and the weaving industry in Kidderminster.

Activities included work with local schools and colleges, talks and displays about the Project, history 'Taster' sessions and open days to see the repair works in progress.

Date Event
Venue and Joining Information
Thursday 28th April,
1.00 - 4.00 pm
A Taste of House History

Led by Paul Hudson, Learning and Outreach Manager of The Hive in Worcester. The session will explore the resources available and how to go about finding out more about the history of your home.

Kidderminster Library

Booking essential, places are limited, Please contact the library directly on: 01905 822722

Saturday 21st May, 12.00 to 4.00 pm Weavers Cottages Road Show

Meet Sue Pope, the Project Learning Officer, see our pop-up exhibition and/or leave your memories of the Horsefair or local traditions. Later in the afternoon Sue will be joined by Family Historian, Gay Hill.

Museum of Carpet

Drop in any time between 12 and 4. Booking not required.

Wednesday 1st June, 1-4pm A Taste of Worcestershire Archaeology

Come and meet Justin Hughes, from the Archives and Archaeology service, The Hive in Worcester and find out more about Worcestershire's past.

Kidderminster Library

Booking required: please contact the library directly on: 01905 822722. Places are limited. Please note: refreshments are not provided at this session

Download the event poster

Wednesday 22nd June, 1-4pm A Taste of Social History

Find out more about the life of a weaver in Kidderminster. Led by Worcestershire Historical Interpreters, Discover History, this interactive session will look at objects and evidence of the time plus the chance to look around the museum itself.

The session will aim to bring the life of the weavers to life and will look at how their work was carried out as well as the dangers and hardships around it and within their social life.

Established in 2003, Discover History are Paul Harding and Helen Lee, both professional historical performers, who like to concentrate on providing historical accuracy and authenticity through demonstrating the personal lives of how our ancestors lived, worked and enjoyed their pastimes. Covering over a million years of history, they offer an interactive and hands-on experience to people of all ages and abilities. This provides an opportunity to handle both real and historically accurate replica artefacts and to find out more by talking with Paul and Helen.

Find out more at www.discover-history.co.uk
or on Twitter and Facebook

Museum of Carpet

Booking required. Contact Sue Pope on: 07875 377243 or email: merrienoyse@btinternet.com. Places are limited so please book fast!

View the poster (pdf).

(Wednesday 6th July) - POSTPONED until 20th October - see below for details A Taste of Words Poetry Workshop with Heather Wastie
Saturday 9th July
11am to 4pm
Road Show / Family History Day

Do you have a weaver in the family? Do you have any relatives or ancestors that lived and worked in Kidderminster or the Horsefair and worked in the carpet or weaving trades? If yes, come along to our family history day on 9th July at St Mary's Primary School to share your family stories with us.

Come and meet family historian Gay Hill, members of historical interpretation group, Discover History, and representative of the Museum of Carpet to find out more about local industry and to share your most valuable, treasured memories, memories that are of great historical value to the heritage of Kidderminster.

St Mary's Primary School

Drop in any time between 11 and 4. Booking not required.

Saturday 6th August
10am-2pm
Weavers Cottages Open Day

Come along to a timed ticket session to view the ongoing works at Weavers Cottages.

There will be the opportunity to view the cottages and see demonstrations of historic trades and skills used to renovate and restore these wonderful historic buildings.

Demonstrations include historic brickmaking with Tony Mugridge and blacksmithing with Paul Ashmore. The session will be followed by a heritage walk through the town and end at The Museum of Carpet for refreshments.

All participants will be given a 2 for 1 ticket offer to use that day or in the future to visit the museum. At the museum representatives of Worcestershire County Council's Archives and Archaeology service will be on hand to talk more about their work and their role in the project.

Due to the size of the site, ticket places will be extremely limited.
Download the Media Release for more details.

Weavers Cottages

Time slots are 10am, 11am, 12pm and 1pm. Booking is essential.

To book please contact Activity Coordinator Sue Pope on: 07875 377243 or email: events@wbpt.org.uk

Tuesday 9th August
1pm to 4pm
Weavers Cottages Road Show

See our pop-up exhibition and/or leave your memories of the Horsefair or local traditions.

Museum of Carpet

Booking not required.

Tuesday 16th August, 11am-4pm Weaving Yarns Spinning Melodies, workshops with Heather Wastie

Part of Kidderminster Arts festival, a scratch family choir workshop. Join Heather and have fun with new songs specially composed with children from St Mary’s Primary School Kidderminster.
Download the poster(pdf)

The Gatsby Emporium, Oxford Street Kidderminster

All ages and abilities welcome.

To book please contact Sue Pope on: 07875 377243 or email: merrienoyse@btinternet.com or turn up on the day. There may be chance to share your songs too!

Wednesday 17th August
11am-1pm and 2pm-4pm
A Taste of Family HIstory with Gay Hill

Come and meet Family Historian Gay Hill and learn more about how to research the history of your family. Do you have a weaver in the family or any links to the weaving industry? If yes – we would love to hear about them so do come along.
Download the poster(pdf)

Kidderminster Library

To book: places are limited, please contact the library directly on: 01905 822722

Friday 9th September
10am-12pm
Weavers Cottages Road Show

See our pop-up exhibition and/or leave your memories of the Horsefair or local traditions.

St Georges Church

Booking not required.

Wednesday 14th September
1pm-4pm
Weavers Cottages Road Show

See our pop-up exhibition and/or leave your memories of the Horsefair or local traditions.

Museum of Carpet

Booking not required.

Saturday 17th September
11am-1pm and 2pm-4pm
A Taste of Family HIstory with Gay Hill

Come and meet Family Historian Gay Hill and learn more about the use of newspapers in family and local history. There will also be a tour of the Museum’s Library and Archive, along with a display, especially of the Museum’s copies of the Kidderminster Shuttle, and a chance to search its catalogue.

Do you have a weaver in the family or any links to the weaving industry? If yes – we would love to hear about them so do come along.

Museum of Carpet

Booking required. Places for both sessions are limited, please contact Gay directly on 07854 378945 to book your place. Refreshments will be available prior to each session.
View the poster.

Saturday 17th September
11am-2pm
Weavers Cottages Road Show

See our pop-up exhibition and/or leave your memories of the Horsefair or local traditions.

Kidderminster Town Centre, The Swan Centre

Booking not required.

Wednesday 12th October
11am-3pm
Weavers Cottages Road Show

See our pop-up exhibition and/or leave your memories of the Horsefair or local traditions.

Kidderminster Town Centre

Booking not required.

Wednesday 20th October
10.30-12.30 and 1.15-3.15pm
A Taste of Words Poetry Workshop with Heather Wastie

Come along to explore and develop your own poetry writing skills with Heather Wastie, the Worcestershire Poet Laureate 2015/16.

The workshops are suitable for all abilities and will draw inspiration for your ideas from Kidderminster's wonderful heritage, including current research from the Weavers Cottages project. At the end of the sessions, participants will be encouraged to work on a piece for inclusion in the final Weavers Cottages open day and celebration events later in the year.

Heather also works as a singer/songwriter, actor and facilitator, and has published four illustrated poetry collections. In 2013 she was Writer in Residence at the Museum of Carpet, turning people’s memories into poems and songs which she now performs. This work was published last autumn by Black Pear Press under the title Weaving Yarns.

She has been commissioned by Worcestershire Building Preservation Trust to compose new songs inspired by the Weavers' Cottages.

Website: www.wastiesspace.co.uk
Blog: https://weavingyarns1.wordpress.com/
Twitter: @heatherwastie

The Gatsby Emporium

Workshop available in 2 sessions:
10.30-12.30 and 1.15-3.15pm

All ages and abilities welcome.

To book please contact Sue Pope on: 07875 377243 or email: merrienoyse@btinternet.com or turn up on the day. There may be chance to share your songs too!

View the poster (pdf).

Saturday 22nd October
10.30-2pm
A Taste of Hand Loom Weaving

Come and meet weaver Roger Mathews and learn more about how to weave on a hand loom. Find out the basics and how to create your own items from yarn. Also, do you have a weaver in the family or any links to the weaving industry? If yes – we would love to hear about them too!

Museum of Carpet

Places are limited. To book please contact Sue Pope on 07875 377243 or email: merrienoyse@btinternet.com

View the poster (pdf).

Saturday 28th October
10am-12pm
Weavers Cottages Road Show

See our pop-up exhibition and/or leave your memories of the Horsefair or local traditions.

New Meeting Coffee House

Booking not required.

Tuesday 8th November
2-4pm
A Taste of Family History - Looking at the Census

Come and meet Family Historian Gay Hill who will show you how to search the 1911 and 1901 census to explore your family history.

View the poster (pdf).

Kidderminster Library

Places are very limited and must be booked in advance by phoning Gay on 07854378945 or email gshill2011@hotmail.co.uk

Saturday 3rd December A Happy Horsefair Christmas

The Horsefair and Proud Community Group are hosting "A Happy Horsefair Christmas". As part of that the Trust will be showcasing a small amount of the outreach work that has been going on.

This includes the fruits of the poetry taster led by Heather Wastie and the chance to see inside the cottages without actually going inside courtesy of 3D virtual reality films created by James of Clear Picture Films.

With a brass group, Christmas tree, festive food and gifts it should be a lovely community event, the first of its kind in the Horsefair, so do come along if you can.

Outside Weavers Cottages, 20-22 Horsefair, Kidderminster, 12-4pm

Tuesday 10th January 2017 A Taste of Family History

Have you reached a brick wall in your family history? Do you want to know how to start researching your family history? If so, come and have a timed 15 minute one-to-one session with Gay Hill, professional genealogist and local historian, who will advise you on where to go.

Kidderminster Library

Places are very limited and must be booked in advance by phoning Gay on 07854378945 or email gshill2011@hotmail.co.uk

View the poster (pdf).

Saturday March 11th 2017 Weavers Cottages Open Day

View the transformation, and celebrate the successful completion of the last remaining weavers’ cottages in Kidderminster, into residential accommodation. Roger Mathews, a volunteer handloom weaver from The Museum of Carpet, will be weaving cloth in Number 22. Roger will be the last person to weave cloth in the cottages before their sale.

Tours start from the Salvation Army Centre. The Centre will be open between 10am and 4pmfor all to come and see the positive impact this project has had on the local community. Artwork will be presented and talks, songs, and poetry, inspired by the cottages history, will be performed.

Start at the Salvation Army Centre, Jerusalem Walk, Kidderminster between 10am – 4pm.

Due to the size of the cottages, access will be limited to timed ticket only. Places must be booked in advance by contacting Activity Co-ordinator Sue Pope on: events@wbpt.org.uk or call: 07875 377243

View the press release (pdf).