Vintage Fair breathes new life in to Victoria Baths
1 April 2011
The Victoria Baths will begin the year's events season with a vintage fair this Sunday, 3 April, giving shoppers the chance to search out a bargain while enjoying this spectacular building.
Victoria Baths has undergone a £5 million transformation since winning the BBC's Restoration Programme in 2003. The initial work concentrated on the front block of the baths, including the original iconic façade, which was completed in 2008.
The latest phase of work, completed late 2010, focused on the roof of the Gala Pool, the main attraction in the baths' Edwardian hey day. Work included new glazing, including stained glass windows, slating, decoration, structural work and the installation of disabled access.
The next step is to make the best use of the space, attracting a range of uses that the whole community can benefit from. Further restoration work and a forthcoming toilet refurbishment will help the building become more flexible and allow even larger events.
Gill Wright, Project Manager at the Victoria Baths Trust, said: "The vintage fair marks not only the first event of the season, but also another milestone in breathing new life in to Victoria Baths. With the completion of each restoration project a new area of the baths is brought back to life, making the perfect space for a wide and varied list of events."
The vintage stalls will be open for business between 10am and 4pm selling everything from textiles, clothes, glassware, kitchenware and haberdashery from the 1930s through to the 1970s.
It is also a public open day so, between bargain hunting, there will also be guided tours around the historic building throughout the afternoon and exhibitions of period swimming costumes, photographs and films.
Councillor Mike Amesbury, executive member for culture and leisure, said: "The Victoria Baths is an incredible building that sums up the grandeur of Edwardian architecture. I am immensely proud of the work that has gone into restoring this Manchester landmark and we look forward to seeing a lot of visitors, and many more events, in the coming months."
The restoration has been made possible through funding from several partners: the English Heritage, Heritage Lottery Fund, the Restoration Fund and public donations.
Henry Owen-John, English Heritage's Planning Director for the North West , said: "Events like the Vintage Fair are so important in connecting the public with their built heritage and we would encourage people to come along on Sunday and absorb this wonderful building. At one time the baths faced a bleak future but immense progress has been made - English Heritage is delighted to have been able to make a contribution to the revival of this Grade ll* listed building with a little under £1m in grants. The Victoria Baths have always been at the heart of the community and I am certain it will remain that way long into the future."
