The Loughborough Heritage Forum occurred on June 23rd at the Longcliffe Golf Club. This event serves as an essential gathering for various groups and community members to come together and discuss the rich heritage of Loughborough. The event featured brief updates from regular attendees:
Sharon Gray, Forum Chair, and member of Loughborough Library Local Studies Volunteer Group.
Jess Vollar Bell, CEO of the Generator.
Nick Shaw, Charnwood Borough Council Events Team, Economic. Development and Regeneration.
Elizabeth Woledge, new MD of Taylor’s Bell Foundry Museum.
Shirley Novak, Charnwood Arts.
John Dimmick, Parish Green Ltd.
Lez Cope Newman, Chair of the BID and Love Loughborough.
Cllr, Jenni Tillotson, Cabinet member and Deputy Leader Charnwood Borough Council.
Roger Wilson, Warden at All Saints Parish Church.
John Weitzel, Archivist of the Grammar School.
Sue Selfe, Loughborough Library Local Studies Volunteer Group.
Pippa Vidal Davies, Culture Leicestershire.
Lynne Dyer, Lynneaboutloughborough blog.
Lucy Bishop, Loughborough Library.
Mel Gould, Carillon.
Janine Williams, Director of Tourism at Go Leicestershire.
Lisa Burns-Kent, The Loughborough Building Society.
Deborah Moxom, Researcher, Alexandra’s Bedspread, and Chair of Friends of the Charnwood Museum.
Liz Dunajewska, Friends of Charnwood Museum.
Cllr. Anne Gray, Lead Member for Leisure and Tourism at Charnwood Borough Council.
Simon Birchall, a Director of the Generator.
Jill Vincent, Loughborough Heritage Open Weekend.
Following Dr Aline Moreira Fernandes Barata’s initial contact and attendance at the forum in 2024, invited back were Dr Robert Harland, Dr Cristina Kiminami and Mihyun Kim to provide an update on the activities of the TOWN Observatory. They provided valuable insights on how heritage information about Loughborough is being developed and shared on four digital platforms of the TOWN Observatory. Notably, it was explained how heritage is the main cross-platform theme. An updated pamphlet was circulated.
The atmosphere at the forum was vibrant, fostering a meaningful exchange of ideas and perspectives among attendees. It provided the opportunity for participants to engage in important conversations about Loughborough’s heritage, ensuring the town’s history is honoured and remembered. Such forums are crucial for building community connections and encouraging collaboration to safeguard Loughborough’s unique cultural identity for future generations.
A notable highlights was a comment from Sue Selfe, who kindly acknowledged the enjoyable collaboration between the Loughborough Library Local Studies Volunteer Group, and TOWN Observatory on the series of Heritage Mapping projects, particularly the recent interviews being conducted by Dr Cristina Kiminami with all the volunteers.
Photography: Snapshots of Forum members at the Longcliffe Golf Club, featuring discussion between Sharon Gray, Robert Harland, and Jill Vincent. (Photographs by Cristina Kiminami and Mihyun Kim)