Chester Decorative & Fine Arts Society

A Member Society of NADFAS

Heritage Volunteers News

Sharing the Mystery!

The Chester Mystery Plays “Sharing the Mystery” project (funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund) is about creating a living collection of records, memories and photos of the Plays since they were revived in 1951.  

 Working with the University of Chester Learning and Information Services team, one strand of the project is to develop an archive (physical and online).  Volunteers from Chester DFAS have been invaluable in shaping and cataloguing material.  “I honestly don’t know how we would have managed without Kath and her team”, commented Project Manager, Jane Dawson.  “They’ve been absolutely brilliant!”  Kath Bowen, the local coordinator, Denise Parkin, the Chester Secretary, and other members of the Chester group have brought their skills and knowledge to the project, and in turn have gained a fascinating insight into a marvellous example of Chester’s living heritage.

 
GROSVENOR  MUSEUM

Work on sewing protective covers for the collection of costumes at the Grosvenor Museum continues, around two thirds of the collection has been completed. Our sewers should continue to be busy for some time, providing stocks of calico material can be obtained (see photos of our “costume ladies” in our Gallery page).

NORTON PRIORY, Runcorn

Heritage Volunteers from Chester and Liverpool DFAS are helping at Norton Priory on a major project to catalogue, photograph and clean the Archaeological Collection from the Priory.

The call for volunteers to help save the collection was sent out last year after a routine inspection found most of the artefacts to be infected with mould. This resulted in the whole collection being moved off site to a warehouse, where a more detailed survey could be made.

 The collection includes medieval tiles, glass, animal bones, masonry and human remains (now being cared for at Liverpool University) which were excavated in the 1970’s

This work also has provided archaeology students from Liverpool and Chester University a rare chance to study the items as the cleaning progresses throughout the groups of objects.

 The Augustinian Abbey founded in the 12th century and closed in the 16th century as part of the dissolution of the monasteries, is regarded as one of the important monastic sites in Cheshire.

CHESTER RECORDS OFFICE

After a short break we have returned to the Records Office to continue our long term project of providing new acid free paper coverings for the extensive collection of wills held there.

Volunteers have also started to sort through and slip cover photographs from the Cathedral Archives which are in the Records Office.

GARDEN PROJECT

With a garden record completed, research is ongoing by volunteers in this project which seek to find evidence of designed landscapes.

A training course was held in February at the Chester Records Office for those who were unable to attend the session held  around eighteen months ago.

The Cheshire Garden Trust instigated  a course on the History of Gardens, this was led by Ed Bennis who is chairman of the CGT.   Attended by members he Chester Group the course was also attended by members  of the Tarporley Garden History Volunteers.  

LINKS WITH CHESTER CIVIC TRUST 

Alongside members of the Chester Civic Trust, Heritage Volunteers stewarded a recent art exhibition at the Queens School .The theme of the exhibition was “ART INSPIRED BY 2000 YEARS OF CHESTER HISTORY” and over 300 people came to see the work created by children from Neston and Chester schools. 

Also, this year, on behalf of Chester DFAS the Heritage Volunteers have once again been invited by the Civic Trust to steward at St Mary’s Centre during the Heritage Open Days Weekend in September……always a good opportunity to “ fly the flag” for NADFAS.  
Kathy Bowen, Heritage Volunteer Coordinator