A Report on our Open Day Success

9 Sep 2023

Words from Ray Beecham on, "A very worthwhile event" at Cairo Street Chapel.

Sitting in the Chapel Garden with Friede and admiring the many

colours of the flowers and shrubs, we both agreed that it would

be a good idea to hold a Garden and Chapel Open Day. We decid-

ed the date to be Saturday 15th July and the garden to be open

from 2pm to 4pm.

I contacted several congregations with connections to the Gaskell

family and the Gaskell Society. I wrote a news article for the

Warrington Guardian describing our garden as a secret green oa-

sis in the centre of Warrington. The time of opening was includ-

ed. The Guardian did the chapel proud putting all my article in

the paper minus the opening times.

On Open Day, Peter and I arrived at Chapel at 9.50am with the

intention of tidying up any areas that had missed earlier inspec-

tions.

However, at 10 am, the garden gate was opened and I heard sev-

eral ladies agreeing that 'you always got good cakes at these

events'. Looking round, I saw a line of people all making their

way in to visit the gardens and Chapel ... and so it continued all

day. At 12 noon, I was checking the dahlias and saw Frieda walk-

ing up Cairo Street with her tins of cakes. I just waved to her and

thought to myself ... 'you will soon receive a big surprise'.

The afternoon was just as hectic with visitors asking for infor-

mation of family baptisms, weddings, funerals and burials. We

closed the doors at 5.10pm, exhausted but happy that so many

visitors had visited the gardens and the chapel and enjoyed the

experience.

Large numbers of the visitors showed great interest in the history

of the Chapel and the people associated with it over the years and

purchased the leaflets which have been produced after detailed

research over the past few years.

A very worthwhile event.

Ray Beecham