2:59pm Thursday 27th July 2006
By Steve Dunthorne
The wraps finally came off a lost' piece of Blackpool's heritage after two years of effort from campaigners.
A stained glass window by the Manchester based arts and crafts firm, George Wragge Ltd, has been a feature of Blackpool Town Hall's council chamber for around a century.
But for much of that time the window featuring images of Blackpool's maritime heritage, has gone unseen after it was painted over, possibly to aid the blackout during the Second World War.
Now, thanks to help from the Blackpool Civic Trust, a £31,000 heritage lottery grant and the skills of conservationist, Simon Harvey, whose previous work includes the restoration of York Minster, the George Wragge Memorial Window is finally on display.
Elaine Smith, chairman of Blackpool Civic Trust, said: "The true beauty of the window, which was hidden, has now been revealed, with the work bringing out the blues and whites and revitalising the town crest panel. I am absolutely thrilled with the results of the work and the speed at which the contractors carried it out."
Blackpool South MP, Gordon Marsden, carried out the unveiling ceremony last week. He said: "As a historian, I'm delighted that this work of art evoking Blackpool's maritime history has been brought back to life with Heritage Lottery funding and the joint enterprise of the Blackpool Civic Trust and the council, for residents and visitors alike to appreciate and enjoy."
Councillor David Owen, Blackpool Council's culture portfolio holder, said: "This is an extremely worthy project which has revealed the true glory of a hidden gem and has restored a beautiful feature of the council chamber to be enjoyed by councillors, visitors and residents alike."
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