Tapestries on display at Concert Hall
After the closure of the Tourist Information Centre in Filey, The Filey Tapestries, depicting life in Filey through the ages, were no longer available for the public to look at. With help and advice from Scarborough Borough Council and Filey Town Council, the four tapestries are now in their permanent home in the foyer of the Concert Hall, along with the tourist information leaflets, at the Evron Centre, Filey. A lighter background wall has enhanced these tapestries, which took over six years to complete, said Oriel Wing, of The Filey Tapestry Group. Everyone who signed a book to say they had put in some stitches have their names displayed in ‘copper-plate’ writing in a commemorative book which is also on display. One of the star attractions was a display of old photographs and documents from the Parish Council archives. These unlocked memories for elderly village residents and proved fascinating to visitors from further afield as well.
One visitor commented: “A fantastic display – we had great fun trying to recognise the people in the photographs”, while others were enthralled looking at some of the details about the treatment of those in poverty revealed in the Poor Book records from the late 18th century. Also on display was Hunmanby’s iconic oil painting of the village centre, believed to date from the 1840s and postcards of this sold briskly.
Meanwhile other visitors were particularly interested, but a bit apprehensive, about going into Hunmanby’s Lockup, the small Victorian prison used to temporarily confine ne’er do wells until they could be dealt with by the local magistrates. Spiders and cobwebs notwithstanding, every visitor summoned up the courage to enter the two dark cells.
Further attractions included local history displays at Wrangham House, Hunmanby’s Georgian vicarage and also at the White Swan Inn.
The day ended with a guided walk around the village, to look at the old market place of Cross Hill, Hunmanby Hall, the site of the Norman castle and its moat, some of the older houses in the village, and the church.
Hunmanby Heritage Day was organised and staffed by Hunmanby parish councillors and members of Hunmanby Local History Group. Thanks were paid to other volunteers and local businesses who helped, together with support from The White Swan, Wrangham House, All Saints’ Church and the Spring Cafe.