Knowsley Housing Trust (KHT) took pupils from Evelyn Road Primary School in Prescot on a trip through time at a special reminiscence event at its latest development, The Watch Factory.
KHT, part of the First Ark Group, guided the twelve children, aged nine and ten, through the history of the site via a variety of artefacts which brought the development’s historical story to life. KHT also showcased its plans for the site’s new homes, where retaining the heritage of the existing buildings remains a priority.
Historical photographs showed the site as The Lancashire Watch Factory, which formed the hub of Great Britain’s watchmaking industry on its opening in 1889. Further photography depicted the 6.75 acre plot of land’s position as a barracks for a battalion of Pals during World War One. Household objects from the 1950s were handed around to invoke the building’s role as headquarters for C.Tinlings & Co printing company, which published books and the Liverpool Evening Express throughout the period.
Finally a group of older residents at a nearby KHT sheltered housing scheme, Cross Street, were invited to attend the event to share their memories of The Watch Factory and its history.
This is the first of several events involving the KHT Watch Factory team and Evelyn Road Primary School, which is a neighbour of the new development. Pupils at the reminiscence event have been invited to generate ideas for street names at the development. The winning student will take a tour of the site and bury a 2015 time capsule which will be compiled with their classmates.
Executive director at KHT, Ian Thomson, said: “It’s great to bring young and old together to look back at the varied past of The Watch Factory and its site. We plan to bring the history of the development into the plot’s transformation with the original Watch Factory listed building forming the centre of the site. However, we will also be reaching forward into the future via our work, installing state of the art Extra Care facilities at the site as well as up-to-date communal areas, such as a restaurant, a hairdressers and activity rooms.
“Every property at the development is designed to be a home for life, and each can be adapted around the future needs of residents, making the area a great place to live for communities for years to come.”
The Watch Factory’s first phase, on Albany Road, Prescot, is being built by KHT together with partners Iliad, Knowsley Council and Harbur Construction, and comprises an initial 70 new Extra Care homes with accompanying Extra Care facilities. The site offers residents 54 one-and two-bed apartments and 10 two-bed bungalows for affordable rent plus 6 two-bed bungalows for shared ownership , all of which have been designed to cater for the future accessibility and care needs of those aged over 55.
To find out more about Knowsley Housing Trust and The Watch Factory, visit: www.k-h-t.org.
Comments