Discover what’s in Unilever’s Archives.

On Thursday 30th November at 6pm, the team from Unilever Archives and Record Management will be sharing some of the fascinating stories from their collection.  The Old Schoolroom at the Lyceum will host a special exhibition, plus displays of intriguing artefacts and documents, informal presentations and film shows.  If you’ve ever wondered what was held in the archives, here is the perfect time to meet the experts and find out.

The event is free and we are grateful to our partners at Unilever Archives for sharing their work.

The Old Schoolroom at the Lyceum is on the corner of Park Road and Bridge Street, Port Sunlight, CH62 4UJ.

Temporary Road Closures 31st October and 1st November 2017

There will be road closures in place on Bolton Road, Park Road, Bridge Street and Cross Street on Tuesday and Wednesday due to filming in the village.  A diversion will be in place to enable traffic to flow through the village.

We are very grateful to residents for their help and support in making this sort of activity possible. Using the village as a filming location represents a fantastic opportunity to raise the profile of Port Sunlight in a way that we couldn’t ordinarily achieve. The cast and crew have gone to great length to minimise the impact of the filming and have been incredibly respectful of our unique heritage.  The film company have been very struck by the special nature of the place and the warm welcome they have received from residents.

Port Sunlight on the Eve of the War

Thursday 9th November, 7.30pm in the Old Schoolroom at the Lyceum

This special presentation for Remembrance Week will explore the developments and optimism in the village and the life left behind by the men who marched away.  The talk will feature lots of images of Port Sunlight from that era, along with stories of Lever Brother’s business at that time and tales of some of the men who were to go off to war.

Doors open 7pm, talk begins 7.30pm.  Tickets £6, available from Port Sunlight Museum, or on the door on the night.

Open Village

Our popular Open Village event returns on Sunday 10th September as part of Wirral History and Heritage Open Days  and we’re celebrating the rich heritage and creative talent of Port Sunlight with over a dozen fascinating buildings open free of charge.  Among those taking part is the Gladstone Theatre, which will be offering tours telling the stories of the building, the Old Schoolroom at the Lyceum will host the popular Handmade Fair with the very best in contemporary craft and design, and at Lever House visitors will be able to discover the work of Unilever Archives.  Our Worker’s Cottage at 22 King George’s Drive will be brought to life with Edwardian living history and Tame Valley Vintage & Classic Car Group will display their vehicles on the green beside the museum.  Several residents are opening their homes to give visitors a chance to explore the historic cottages.

Most buildings will be open 11am-4pm, a few have slightly shorter opening hours.  A full list and location map of all participating properties will be available on the day from Port Sunlight Museum, open from 10am.  This will be a perfect way to explore the village and discover something new!

The Piper’s Tale

Wednesday 11th October 2017, 7.30pm, The Old Schoolroom at the Lyceum, Bridge Street, Port Sunlight, CH62 4UJ

As part of Wirral Arts Festival, we have a special evening combining music, storytelling and folklore, exploring the role of the English bagpiper along with some local links to bagpipes through history, from medieval carvings to piping in Port Sunlight.

The bagpiper strolls through the folk tales of Europe, sometimes the wise fool, other times a trickster or prisoner of the underworld.  The collected tales of many years are shared, along with tunes on various bagpipes to awaken the legend.

Tickets – £6 on the door.

Wirral Open Studios in Port Sunlight

Saturday 10th and Sunday 11th June 2017.  Free admission.

As part of the Wirral Open Studios event, six artists will be showing their work in the setting of Bridge Cottage in our village.  It will be a perfect way to see some of the area’s creative talent in the atmospheric setting of one of the Port Sunlight’s oldest houses, once home to village founder William Lever.

The artists exhibiting are; Rob Davies (painter), Gerard McGregor (painter), Vaishali Karanjkar (photographer), Claire Acworth (jeweller), Mary Bryning (textile artist), and Chris Cullen (textile artist).

You can find out more about these artists on the Wirral Art website.

Safari around the Dell

Wednesday 23rd August, the Old Schoolroom at the Lyceum, Port Sunlight, CH62 4UJ

Pop into the Old School Room at the Lyceum for an I-spy trail then step outside to explore the lovely gardens of The Dell keeping your eyes peeled for animals hiding amid the trees and shrubs.  After you’ve found them all, return to collect a sweet treat, then make your own animal mask to take away.

Activities run from 10.30am-3pm, drop in any time.  Allow about an hour for the activities.  Price £1.50 per child.  Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Soapy Spaceships

Wednesday 2nd August 2017, Old Schoolroom at the Lyceum, Port Sunlight, CH62 4UJ

Everyone knows that Sunlight Soap was made in our village and, whilst times may have changed, the Unilever factory in Port Sunlight is still busy making soapy products such as Persil, Radox and TRESemme.  Like Unilever, we are committed to reducing the amount of packaging that ends up as waste, and what better way to recycle plastic bottles than to make them into model spaceships and fire the imagination.

Join us for a fun workshop turning everyday soap packaging into model rockets and UFOs.  Bring along your own perfect shaped plastic bottle, or choose from the ones we have.  We’ll provide all the other materials to convert it into an interstellar craft!

Drop in any time between 10.30am and 3pm.  Allow around an hour for the activities.  Price £1.50 per child.  Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Creepy Crafts and Spooky Stories

Family fun for Halloween week – Wednesday 25th & Thursday 26th October, Drop in any time from 10.30am-3.30pm.

Visit our loathsome laboratory and make a witches potion from some gruesome ingredients.  Then take inspiration from some weird scenes from Port Sunlight’s history and Gothic architecture in the village and make your own haunted house model to take away.  You can also listen to some spine-tingling tales from our storyteller.

Drop in any time from 10.30am-3.30pm, allow around an hour for the workshop.  Activities cost £1.50 per child.  Children must be accompanied by an adult.

Pirates of Port Sunlight

Family fun on Wednesday 16th August, drop in between 10.30am and 3pm.

Ahoy, me hearties!  Step aboard the good ship Lyceum and set sail for adventure with fun activities to separate the buccaneers from the scurvy dogs.  Arrr!

Join us for pirate crafts, making a captain’s hat, eye-patch and a parrot with flapping wings, try out a swashbuckling sword drill, walk the plank, and go on a treasure hunt around the Dell, with a gold bar if you find all the clues.

Activities take place in the Old School Room at the Lyceum, by the Dell, Port Sunlight, CH62 4UJ.  Drop in any time between 10.30am-3pm, allow around an hour for activities.  Admission is £1.50 per child.  Children must be accompanied by an adult.  Feel free to come in pirate costume if you wish!