Platinum Jubilee Festival to be held in Heptonstall

There will be music by local folk group Ghost Train and refreshments in the chapel.

Children’s craft activities, face painting, plant sale and food fair with local producers will take place in the neighbouring Sunday school.

Stalls include Porcus, who featured on the Hairy Bikers as producing fantastic sausages on the moors above Todmorden, and award winning cheeses from Pex Tenement.

The event is organised by the Friends of Heptonstall Chapel and Sunday School, who are working towards the refurbishment of the Sunday School. It will be the first time children’s activities have been held in the Sunday School for ten years.

The Sunday School was built in 1824 to give a basic education to children and adults, along with Bible study. In 1889 the building was enlarged. The top storey was removed and replaced with today’s grand hall. In the 1980s, a larger stage and proscenium arch was added. This was badly damaged by damp while the building but was closed and was taken down just before Christmas.

Chair of the Friends group, Amy Binns, said: “The Sunday School was built with great pride by a hard-working community. It was at the heart of social life for many years.

“We had mixed feelings when the old stage came down. A lot of people had happy memories of shows there. But suddenly the hall was full of light, as the rear windows were uncovered for the first time in decades. We want to create a new, slightly smaller stage so it’s a more flexible space. With a bit of TLC, it will again be one of the most beautiful halls in the Calder Valley.”