SIR: One can hardly forget the recent, very first (September 14) open day of Atherton's picturesque Alder House stately home.
What pleasure the new Alder House owners gave to the crowds that visited and the 'guides' from Atherton's thriving local historical society were magnificently informed, and most helpful.
It warmed the cockles of one's heart seeing a Union Flag flying beside the old ancestral home which once embodied a clinic.
Children had their teeth and hair examined in the 1940s under Alder House's oaken roofbeams. Alder House is no longer draughty, creaky, dark and quaintly gaunt; it's a beautifully restored, splendid home now.
Many people also visited the 350 year old Chowbent Unitarian Chapel in Atherton and many strange to the district found the chapel interior an eye-opener. A stunning exhibition which included floral arrangements (and photos of past ministers) was assembled behind the huge open doors!!
How nice it was to inspect the pulpit from which Minister Woodand and the late 'Father of Methodism' John Wesley preached in years past. No wonder the Atherton Unitarians have loads of faith and pride.
The chapel's a beauty.
Kenneth Lucas
Park Road, Hindley
Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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