New Heritage Centre celebrates workforce of Leyland Motors, Leyland Paints, Iddon Brothers and bleach works
The workforce behind some of Leyland’s biggest industries is being celebrated at a new venue in the town centre.
Leyland Heritage Centre has opened at 14 Hough Lane and contains artifacts from the likes of Iddon Brothers, the town bleach works, Leyland Motors, Leyland Paints and the rubber works. It also features interviews with staff members, from from labourers to managing directors. This is where Leyland Market is moving to for 12 montns
It’s all the brainchild of Leyland Historical Society, who wanted to mark their 50th anniversary back in 2018 with three special projects. The group managed to attract a Heritage Lottery Grant, and set about producing a new edition of their Industrial Heritage of Leyland and Farington book.
Secondly, they wanted to take over an empty shop in Hough Lane, and show what the society had discovered about Leyland over the last 50 years. These both led to the third aim which was to interview as many of the ex-workforces of Leyland that were still around and those who took part got a free copy of the book. Currently, 278 ex-employees have taken part.
The centre has now opened and will run until November 2. There will also be a series of talks given on each Thursday at 7pm on various aspects of Leyland’s history.