Turning back time

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.
They 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.
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 & Company 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 with the pupils.
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.