Forgotten Fields has begun the first of six inter-generational food heritage projects with the communities of Heyes Lane in Timperley, Altrincham.
Until relatively recently, Timperley was a thriving area of market gardens supplying Manchester and beyond with fruit and vegetables. The project will work with people who have first-hand experience and knowledge, including three local residents (in their eighties) who still remember the commercial growing of the famous Timperley Early Rhubarb.
In preparation for the start of the project, Kindling (in partnership with Manchester's Museum of Science & Industry) recently held a workshop with volunteers and local residents on the ownership, copyright, usage and storage of potential archive material. This is to ensure that old & new photographs, audio recordings, children's drawings, and other historic evidence is made available to as many people as possible, as well as being secured for future generations.
Later in the year Forgotten Fields will start projects with communities based in Levenshulme (exploring the heritage of pig farms on what is now Highfield Park) and Audenshaw near Ashton Moss which supplied salad crops (particular celery) to Manchester.
Forgotten Fields is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. It focuses on the heritage of food production and availability in Manchester from 1750’s to present day, concentrating on six communities from across Greater Manchester who have expressed a need to explore a particular food heritage.
For more information contact Fiona Dunk on 07848 026 257 or email her at fiona@kindling.org.uk