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2003
Alton Towers revisited | |
|  | | The Garden House at Alton Towers |
| | A Staffordshire lecturer, who is trying to piece together the history of Alton Towers, is urging people who have their own stories and pictures of the popular Staffordshire tourist attraction to contact him. |
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| | Residents of the Staffordshire village Alton, former workers from the Alton Towers estate, and visitors from past times, are being asked to contribute to a series of videos being made about Staffordshire's best known visitor attraction.
Dr Gary Kelsall, a Senior Lecturer from the Media and Cultural Studies Department at Staffordshire University, is working with Alton Towers to produce two videos, which will piece together the estate's rich and varied history.
"Alton Towers have a really important archive of images and documentation and this is really of interest on numerous levels," says Gary.
Alton's gothic history
"Firstly there are connections with the architect Pugin and the Gothic revival, links to the Earls of Shrewsbury and also the site's history as a leisure park, which many don't realise, actually dates back to the 1830's and is significant in terms of the histories of leisure and tourism".
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Gary, with the help of students, hopes to record people's personal reminiscences about the house, gardens and leisure site.
"I'm sure there are people out there with wonderful tales to tell of events such as the old wakes excursions, which used to bring thousands in on the old LMS railway. But more recent experiences of visitors would also be most welcome"
Gary is busy making use of the material that was produced from a series of interviews with members of the public that were held at Alton Towers in early February.
But he says that he is still desperate for as much source material as possible and would still love to hear from anyone who has anything
Early finds
Gary, who has co-produced other locally-based videos, including a video with Sir Stanley Matthews, about the football legend's life added:
"Going through the Alton Towers archive we have found an original letter dated 1839 from Augustus Welby Pugin.
"This is quite an important find in relation to the history of the site and considering that Pugin is such a celebrated and important figure."
Another very interesting and amusing item is a letter from the Earl of Devonshire which reads:
"A thousand thanks for the Banana, it arrived quite safe and I am delighted to have an opportunity of seeing that most beautiful and curious fruit.
"It is the admiration of everybody and has been feasted upon at dinner today according to the directions."
How to contact Gary
Anyone with information on Alton Towers history - especially those who may posses old photographs, documents or cine film, or with interesting personal reminiscences - is asked to email Gary or call him on (01782) 294537 or (01889) 505066. |
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