West Cheshire Museums celebrates Platinum Jubilee in ‘right royal’ style

Fun, action and 1950s retro will be the order of the day for all four of West Cheshire Museums in the extended four-day bank holiday to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee (2-5 June).

The events will include a Platinum Garden party; an Animal Parade picnic, the showing of 1950s films and a display of 1950s clothes. There will be craft activities at each site and screens playing a specially-made Jubilee Film showing photos from the museums’ archive collection as well as commentary. Events are not dependent on visitors paying to go around the museums but there will be a small charge, to cover materials, for all children’s activities. For more information go to:

www.westcheshiremuseums.co.uk 

Platinum Jubilee Celebrations at West Cheshire Museums  

2-5 June, 2022, 10am - 5pm  

Grosvenor Museum, 27 Grosvenor Street, Chester, Cheshire, CH1 2DD
In addition to free films in the lecture theatre featuring footage of the Coronation and Chester in the 1950s, a film by Theatre in the Quarter* inspired by interviews between teenagers and a generation around at the time of the Coronation, will also be shown. The Museum’s Costume Gallery will display 1950s costumes and visitors will have a rare chance to handle and admire 1950s items from around the Museum. 

The Museum’s History Hub will feature an exhibition of photos from Chester in the 1950s and there will be fun Jubilee craft activities available from Thursday to Saturday (not Sunday). There will be a small display of royal collection items in the Museum Foyer and for people living with Dementia there will be a themed event. 

3 June, 2022, 10am - 4pm 

Weaver Hall Museum, 162 London Road, Northwich, Cheshire, CW9 8AB 

The Museum will host a fun and festive Jubilee Animal Parade Picnic.Visitors are encouraged to bring their own Jubilee picnic and children will have the chance of enjoying activities, including making a crown. Northwich Libraries will give a reading from a children’s book and there will be a screening of a children’s film, such as ‘Winnie the Pooh’. Everyone will have the chance of enjoying the special Jubilee film. 

Friday 3 June and Saturday 4 June, Lion Salt Works Museum, Ollershaw Lane, Marston, Northwich, Cheshire,CW9 6ES 

One of the foremost industrial heritage sites in the county, the Museum will be hosting an action-packed day of fun with a Garden Party that will feature music through the decades Special invitations will encourage local people born in 1952 to join the fun.   The Queen's Platinum Jubilee - a Community celebration is a joint venture between the museum, Marston Parish Council, Ashwood Park and the local Salt Barge pub on Ollershaw Lane. 

Both days will feature a Queen's Quiz, music through the decades with a live band and tombola. Everyone is encouraged to bring an outdoor picnic or alternatively buy food and drinks on site. Throughout the day, there will be Jubilee craft activities available for children as well as a small display of royal collection items in the café. On Friday only, there will be a 'Right Royal Bake Off Competition' (with judging at 3pm). Everyone can also enjoy the Butterfly Garden, renamed for the celebration as Jubilee Walk, as well as taking part in the Queen’s Quiz. Children can enjoy themselves on the industrially-themed play area and in a wonderful finale to the day, there will be ‘live’ music at the Salt Barge Inn, the community's nearby pub.   

Sun 5^th June,  12 noon – 5pm 

Stretton Watermill, Mill Lane, Stretton, SY14 7JA
Enjoy a joyful combination of the beauty of this ancient windmill with its idyllic mill pond as well as the fun and action of a Jubilee picnic. Everyone is encouraged to bring an outdoor picnic and soak up the ambience of the day along with 1950s music that will be playing in the background.  An added attraction of this special event will be the presence of vintage motorbikes. 

Councillor Louise Gittins, Leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council said: “The Platinum Jubilee is a joyful occasion and the Council’s four museums have worked hard to produce an imaginative programme of fun activities that will suit people of all ages and give everyone a chance of coming together to celebrate this happy occasion. There will also be lots of children’s activities and our hope is that this weekend will be one where memories are made for everyone.”    

*Little Film - Theatre in the Quarter is delivering a film project inspired by interviews, conversations and ‘safe’ get togethers between our teenagers and the generation old enough to have been around during the time the Queen came to the throne. The film’s aim is to be inspired by the wisdom of a generation who have lived through the last seventy years and may have thoughts to share with today’s teenagers. The teenagers have prepared some songs from the 1950s as a way of drawing closer to the older generation. 

Weaver Hall Museum and Workhouse is located in the atmospheric former Northwich Union Workhouse building, started in 1837. It is a short distance from central Northwich. During its working life, the workhouse provided a last refuge for the poor of mid-Cheshire, until it closed in 1968. Today, visitors can get a fascinating insight into the building’s history by exploring the workhouse schoolroom, the Master’s sitting room and formidable double-heighted, Guardian’s Boardroom, in which weekly meetings took place to make decisions about the care of the poor. 

Weaver Hall Museum and Workhouse is full of displays and tales of the history and industry of West Cheshire. The stories are told through films, reconstructions, models and vivid displays of intriguing artefacts, which relate to local industry, market towns, transport, archaeology and the building’s former history. The museum is housed within the old Northwich Union Workhouse building built at the start of Queen Victoria’s reign. The Museum offers year-round activities as well as a vibrant schools programme. 

Lion Salt Works Museum 

Ten-times award winner, rated 4.5 on Trip Advisor, the Lion Salt Works Museum tells the story of salt and its impact on the region, landscape and people. This compelling story is told thorough interactive displays, a sound and light show, a ‘subsiding house’ and an automaton. 

Re-opened after a four-year £10m restoration in 2015, the Museum is one of the last open-pan, salt-making sites in the world and is regarded as such an important industrial heritage site that it is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, with the same status as Stonehenge.  

Located in atmospheric historic buildings, the site also has a large industrially-themed playground, a Butterfly Garden that contains Cheshire’s buddleia collection, a café selling affordable food and a shop selling not-on-the-high street gifts. 

There are year-round activities at the Museum including top folk acts, imaginative and cutting-edge plays through the Cheshire Rural Touring Arts, an Historic Transport Day (featuring steam engines) as well as a glittering Christmas event. 

Stretton Water Mill 

Located in an idyllic rural setting, Stretton Water mill is one of the country’s best preserved water-powered corn mills that can still demonstrate the grinding of flour. With parts of the mill dating from 1630, at Stretton Mill, visitors can learn about the history of the mill, then join a miller for a fascinating tour of the mill, including the picturesque pond. The site has a picnic area and free parking. 

Grosvenor Museum 

The Grosvenor Museum is located in 27 Grosvenor Street, Chester and was opened in 1886. The Grade II listed building explores the history of Chester, including its art, natural history and what life was like during the Roman military occupation. It also contains a silver collection unrivalled outside London.  The Museum also contains a Period House with rooms from the 17^th – 20^th century. The museum holds year-round exhibitions and events and has an inspiring schools service.

Pictured - Family and friends celebrate the Platinum Jubilee weekend at Cheshire's Lion Salt Work Museum.