by Rebecca Hannant
Hedon Museum is coordinating an International Heritage Open Days event next month which will be packed with activities and entertainment.
From Saturday, September 7, to Sunday, September 15, the town will host a schedule of 11 history walks, seven open buildings events, seven evening performances, and more.
The Hedon History Walks will cover a range of long and short routes in several areas of the town as well as St Augustine’s Church inside and out.
The open buildings will include Hedon Town Hall, where present council members will be organising a display of council archives.
Lambert House will once again be opening its doors, allowing people to see the grand interiors not normally accessible to the public.
Ivy House’s gardens and follies will also be open, along with talks about the stones found there. New to the Heritage Open Days is the British Legion in the old Anabaptist chapel, which is also hosting a display of Second World War Hedon Heroes.
St Augustine’s tower tours are available at a cost of £5 per person, and the St Mary and St Joseph Catholic Church will be open, as well as Hedon Museum.
The Regency Dancers will also be performing at Ivy House and appearing around the town
as well as Hull Community Theatre acting and singing excerpts from Time and Tide at outdoor locations around the town.
The Hedon Army Cadet Force will have a display in the grounds of Lambert House along with classic cars and lorries.
A treasure hunt is also a new addition for the event, with seven churches around South West Holderness opening their doors. Forms can be picked up from St Augustine’s Church.
The International Heritage Open Days team have collaborated with St Augustine’s to help boost funding for seven forthcoming concerts at the church.
They are: Hull Community Theatre, Hull Barbershop Choruses, Evening of Folk, Barnstormers Comedy Night, East Riding of Yorkshire Brass Band, the Beggar’s Folk Music Foundation, and the Larks Swing Duo.
All events are free, but donations are welcomed.
Tony Porter, from Hedon Museum, said: “We hope that this year’s Heritage Open Days will provide something for everybody and showcase the community of Hedon. Our history should be a real attraction as well as being a vehicle for community spirit.
“We are cooperating with St Augustine’s as this iconic landmark is in dire need of assistance in raising funds to renovate the building and to make it more of a cultural hub for the town too.
“All these events are free, and we must thank East Riding Council for its Do It for East Yorkshire community grant as well as Hedon Town Council. We also need to thank all the volunteers who ensure the buildings are open and the shows can go ahead.”
Details of all these events can be found in the Heritage Open Days brochures for Hull and the East Riding and as well as Beverley. Information is also on the Hedon Blog and Hedon History Walks Facebook page.
