St Francis 75 on Tour – Wartime Heritage

As part of our 75th Anniversary celebrations we are organising a number of talks and associated trips. In May, Keith Dale gave us an enlightening talk about mining from its earliest days to the closure of the pits. This was followed by a highly enjoyable trip to the National Coal Mining Museum in Wakefield, which included a tour underground.

On Sat 13th June, to accompany a talk on Meir Aerodrome on 9th June, we will be visiting the Imperial War Museum North (IWMN) at Salford Quays.

IWM is as far from a traditional museum as you can get; “intentionally disorientating, sometimes even unsettling, to give you an immersive experience”. The striking steel building, the first in the UK to be designed by renowned architect Daniel Libeskind, was created to reflect the subject matter of war; three ‘shards’ pieced together represent a globe that has been shattered by conflict, which, though put back together again, will never be the same.

The Main Exhibition Space takes you through a timeline of the wars Britain and the Commonwealth have been involved in from the First World War to the present day in a unique way that engages young and old alike.

Don’t be surprised when the lights dim – it heralds the start of the hourly ‘Big Picture Show’, another feature unique to IWMN. Using surround sound, projected moving images and photographs, the Big Picture Show makes use of the gallery’s huge walls to bring to life people’s experiences of war. It immerses you in the heart of the action, creating a complete sensory experience which is totally involving and often very moving.

In keeping with our 75th celebrations, we have also arranged a fascinating object handling session just for our group. We will get the chance to handle real and replica objects related to rationing and its impact on home front life during the Second World War in the company of a museum expert.

When you’ve had your fill of war-time memorabilia, there is plenty more to see and do at Salford Quays just a short walk from the IWMN!

The Lowry Galleries featuring the largest public collection of his work plus ‘Meet Mr Lowry’ a fascinating subtitled 20 minute film about the artist is shown throughout the day and there are free LS Lowry ten minute talks everyday at 12pm and 2pm. FREE ENTRY

The Lowry Outlet Mall a shopping experience that saves you up to 70% off the RRP of top brands all day, every day.

[To book your place, contact Anne in the office on 01782 393189]