Marple 150 Festival & Marple Locks Heritage Festival

The Marple 150 Festival celebrated 150 years of transport in Marple from the time of the  arrival of the first train to Marple Station in 1865. The organisers did a splendid job in arranging many events including exhibitions, talks, walks, music, the unveiling of a commemorative plaque at Marple Station and a                                  Retro Rail tour to Carlisle.

Chris Tayor (FoMS) & Gillian Postill (MCS)
welcome Matthew Pritchard to Marple

Congratulations to The Friends of Marple Station (FoMS) who arranged and hosted events at the station.  One such event, the brainchild of Chris Taylor, welcomed Matthew Pritchard, grandson of Dame Agatha Christie, to unveil a 'Miss Marple' plaque and briefly talk about his grandmother and the origins of 'Miss Marple'. From a hand written letter by Agatha Christie it is clear she took the name for her now famous detective from Marple Hall. The plaque, together with 10 huge book cover posters commissioned by HarperCollins Publishers, will be permanent features at the station and no doubt attract many visitors to Marple.

Marple Civic Society Stand
at Marple Locks Heritage Festival

The six day 150 Festival event culminated in the Locks Festival in Marple Memorial Park. The civic society were delighted to support this event and had a display tent there all day. Many members helped on the stand and explained the society's main current activities: Urban Design Study for Marple (work in progress) Marple Neighbourhood Plan (preparatory work ongoing) and listing of Assets of Community Value (ACV) to the many society members and members of the public who visited the stand. 

Allison and Malcom Allcard retired from the festival this year.
They were the driving force in setting up The Marple Locks Heritage Society and have organised the Marple Locks Heritage Festival since 2004. Marple Civic Society (MCS) is hugely grateful to them for their work and wish them a long and happy retirement.