The first Open Day of the year was held on Saturday 11 April, moved from our usual because of the Sheffield Half-marathon. Fears of the unknown were unfounded and this was one of our best Open Days ever – helped by the weather which cleared up in time for opening the gates at 12.
By the time we closed at 4 pm, we had welcomed over 250 people and raised over £1,000 for the renovation fund. That was made up of ‘gate money’, refreshments and the sale of vintage knives, mugs and books. We are still experimenting with the format, and this time visitors could either go round on their own using a guide leaflet, or book a guided tour for £1 extra. This flexibility proved popular.
While some of our longer-established tenants were unfortunately unable to be there, our recent tenants were able to show off their new workshops and to sell what they were making. The icing on the cake was a marvellous write-up in the Sheffield Telegraph the following Thursday.
Huge thanks to our volunteer guides, stewards, cake-makers, refreshment hosts and, of course, to the tenants for opening their workshops and making the day such a success. The next event is our ‘Sharpen Up’ Cutlery and Craft Fair on Sunday 28th June. More details will be available on the Events page of the website as we finalise arrangements.
In September, we will be open for the Heritage Weekend on Friday 11th September from 5 pm to 7 pm, and Saturday 12th September from 10 am to 12mid-day, as we continue to experiment with different open times (see the website for more details nearer the time). Or come and see us one ‘First Tuesday’.
