On Monday 17th July Living Archive/Bletchley Community Heritage Initiative held the launch and exhibition of the ‘Where the Lines Meet - History of the Railways in Bletchley’. This was attended by around 100 contributors to the project as well as the Mayor of Milton Keynes Councillor Brin Carstens, and Sir Bob Reid Chairman of MK Partnership and the event was recorded by ASK MKTV - view
This was the culmination of a two years’ Local Heritage Initiative funded project carried out by project workers, volunteers and schools in the Bletchley Area. During this time members of the community were interviewed for their memories, hundreds of photographs were collected and scanned, children from two local schools, Knowles Junior and Eaton Mill Combined, also researched the railway history, interviewed several ex-workers, and, with funding from the Spotlight on Bletchley’s Community Chest Fund, worked on a textile banners project, two of which are now hanging in Bletchley Library.
Part of the project was to restore the Denbigh Hall plaque. The plaque commemorates the time when the London-Birmingham Railway terminated at Denbigh Hall and passengers had to be transported by stagecoach to destinations such as Birmingham. This was until the line from the North reached Bletchley and joined up to create the London-to-Birmingham Railway Link. The plaque is situated on the Denbigh Hall Bridge next to the Granby estate on Watling Street; if you get a chance why don’t you go and have a look!
The final phase of the project included creating a website, exhibition panels and a book dedicated to Bletchley’s railway history and memories. The website was initially created by a group of volunteers and thanks to the mass of information collected has since been updated and now has its own webspace at www.myrailwaymemories.org.uk. The exhibition panels were initially unveiled at Bletchley and Fenny Stratford Town Council’s Midsummer Madness carnival in June.
The Bletchley Community Heritage Initiative, funded by the Bletchley and Fenny Stratford Town Council, is pleased to announce the Bletchley launch of the ‘Where the Lines Meet’ project.
The launch is being held at Bletchley Library, Westfield Road, Bletchley from 5-7p.m. on Monday 11th September. There will be a chance to see the exhibition panels, get a book signed by the author, view the website and meet participants of the project. Admittance will be by invite-only so if you would like to attend please contact us on 01908 322568 for an invitation.
If you are unable to attend the launch, the exhibition panels will be on display in Bletchley Library after the event and copies of the book will also be on sale costing £5.00.
For any further information on this project please contact us on 01908 322568 or email
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