QUARRY Bank at Styal is inviting people to come and share their memories of the Apprentice House to celebrate a special birthday.

Thursday, August 9 is the 30th anniversary of the house opening to visitors, and on the day visitors are invited to share their stories of the house from the past 30 years and record them in a memory book.

The house was once a key part of the industrial community at Quarry Bank when it was home to the child apprentices who worked in the cotton mill during the early Industrial Revolution.

Jennifer Clayton, Senior Visitor Experience Officer at Quarry Bank, said: “This is a very special anniversary for Quarry Bank.

“Among the staff and volunteer team there are people who remember the Apprentice House being opened up to visitors for the first time, and who have lots of memories of the 30 years since.

“We’re inviting visitors to join us on the anniversary day to share their own stories.”

To mark the anniversary Quarry Bank is putting on a day of celebrations.

Visitors will be able to take part in ‘wash day’ and have a go at doing laundry like it was done in the early 19th century.

They can hear the story of runaway apprentice Thomas Priestley and take home their own apprentice indenture, a type of contract used to commit children to working at Quarry Bank.

At the event there will be a scrapbook where visitors can record their experiences of the Apprentice House, whether they remember the opening 30 years ago, visited as a child or just started visiting.

The scrapbook will then go into the Quarry Bank archive as a record for the future.