WORSLEY Court House in Salford is hosting Christmas craft-making workshops for adults to celebrate the Bridgewater Canal heritage this week.

256 years ago, the Bridgewater canal was the centre of a busy and noisy industry which contained a range of different crafts such as blacksmiths, sail makers, sawyers, and basket weavers.

bridgewater canal
Photo by Ellen Ward, Quays News

The industry was there to support the canal, which opened in 1761, and the coal mines, but they have long gone transforming into a peaceful town.

However, the people of Worsley have not forgotten their heritage and this week they are holding craft-making workshops just in time for Christmas.

In yesterdays workshop, they were making treadle powered Christmas decorations and tomorrow attendees will be weaving a Christmas platter.

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Today, people were making festive prints using printmaking methods to create their own ‘heritage-inspired’ fabric.

Ben Thomas, 38, Woodworker Instructor, spoke about the event and said: “Really nice is that I brought a few ideas and said here’s some techniques here’s some thoughts.

“And every single person’s is different and everyone has designed their own, which is what I really wanted to do.”

Kate Charnock, 40, Bridgewater Officer, is the organiser of the event and she said: “It’s also really sociable, some come with friends but the majority that comes don’t necessarily know anyone. So it’s a really good way of having a chat.

“It’s such a pleasant thing to do in the morning or afternoon.”

Attendees enjoyed the event and spoke about how they were all quite ‘crafty’ and loved how Bridgewater Canal was hosting traditional making events to celebrate the area.

The group were even showing off their creations to each other after working two hours on them.

These craft-making workshops will conclude this year’s events at Bridgewater Canal which only has been started to be revitalised since the Salford City Council secured funding in 2014.

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