News

The Forres Rotary Club is celebrating World Polio Day this month and has sought the help of another town-based organisation to do so.

The Tolbooth, located on Forres High Street will be lit up in purple, after the Forres Heritage Trust which owns the building agreed to help.

The colour purple signifies the colour dye used on the little finger of a child who has received their life saving polio drops on mass polio immunisation days in many countries, to show they have received their life saving vaccine.

Rotary Clubs across the world have been campaigning since 1985 when there were 125 polio endemic countries. The campaign aims to completely eradicate the disease which is now only endemic in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Nigeria.

Doreen McCaig, International/Foundation Convener with the Forres Rotary Club said she was delighted that the two organisations were working together.

She said: “We are very pleased that the Forres Heritage Trust has agreed to help us promote and help make people aware of this significant campaign. All over the world, buildings will be getting lit up in purple and it is tremendous that we will also be doing our bit in Forres.

“The Tolbooth is the perfect building as it is so central, so we are hoping that lots of people will see. Over the weekend that the building will be getting lit up, we will have Rotary members on the High Street to explain what is happening and make people aware. We are really looking forward to it.”

The Tolbooth will lit up on October 23 and 24. The Rotary Club will also be at Tesco Forres on Saturday 23 to collect money for the cause too.

Doreen added: “We have had huge support from across the town and whilst we appreciate there are many local charities, it is encouraging to see that the people of Forres are always willing to help further afield as well. The Rotary Clubs across the world have worked tirelessly to eradicate polio and since the campaign began it’s now 99 per cent eradicated.”

Bob James, a trustee with the Forres Heritage Trust and a member of the Rotary Club said: “The Trust was delighted to be asked to help the Rotary raise awareness of this important campaign. It’s a great example of two organisations working together and helping each other, something which the people of Forres are very good at.

“The request has also come at a perfect time as renovations on the Tolbooth, and in particular around the clocktower which is the area which will be lit up, have just been completed, so the Tolbooth will be looking splendid for the occasion.”

A trail which takes users on a mystery history tour has been launched for an area of Forres.

The Forres Heritage Trust, working in association with Moray Treasure Trails has created the walk which incorporates key local sites and sees participants scanning QR codes which provide them with information about some of the stops.

The trail starts and ends in the same location and generally focusses on Grant Park and Cluny Hill.

The Trust began doing trails last Autumn when it launched a Halloween walk. This was followed by a Christmas themed trail and one for Spring

The new Mystery History Walk focusses on some key locations which have historical significance and participants can get more information at some of the points by scanning the QR codes.

Julie Millar who operates Moray Treasure Trails has volunteered her time to create the trail, whilst Claire Doughty who supports the Trust with publicity has pulled together the information for the QR codes.

Julie said: “I was delighted when Claire got in contact to ask for help in creating the trail. She had all the information and knew some keys sites that she thought would be of interest. I was able to bring it altogether in a user-friendly treasure trail which we hope will appeal to people of all ages.”

Claire who started planning the walk with her son Adam said she was delighted the trail was now ready to be used: “We are so delighted the trail is finally finished but it would not have been possible without the support of Julie. Originally, we had planned a bigger route using QR codes and a locations app, but despite trialling the route dozens of times, it just didn’t work how we wanted it to.

“However, I was put in touch with Julie who creates these walks all over Moray and hosts them for birthdays parties and other events and she stepped in to help. She helped us simplify it and I think we have a quirky wee route which shows off the best of Grant Park, Cluny Hill and Nelson’s Tower, will get people out and about and if they choose to scan the QR codes, will get them learning a wee bit of local history too.”

She added: “Now that we have one route sorted, we may branch out and do some at different locations throughout the town.”

George Alexander, chairman of the Trust said: “We are very grateful to both Julie and Claire and not forgetting Claire’s son Adam who all worked on this walk in their own time. Cluny Hill holds many mysteries, some now known and others yet to be discovered, this mystery walk will surely enlighten you as well as benefit your fitness and wellbeing.  It’s another small addition to the great offering that we have at the Forres Heritage Trust and it may even inspire you to join as a member or maybe even get involved as a volunteer.”

To have a go at the Mystery History Walk you can download the trail here.

SAFETY barriers which are one of the last stages of a project to turn one of Forres’ most historic buildings into a tourist attraction have been installed.

The walkway around the clocktower in the Tolbooth situated in the centre of the High Street is now set to be opened to the public for the first time.

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The barriers which were fabricated and installed by local company AJ Engineering were put in place last week.

The Tolbooth is owned by the Forres Heritage Trust and chairman George Alexander said he is delighted the clocktower project is almost complete.

He said: “We have managed to push this initiative on relatively quickly, but it has been a lot of hard work from the Trust and its trustees. Doing work to any building can be a minefield but when you add in the historical significance of the Tolbooth, it can complicate things. Thankfully, we have been able to progress this without too many hiccoughs and I am glad that it is nearing completion.

“The clock tower has never before been accessible to the public and we know there are many local citizens who are desperate to have the experience. I am very impressed by the fact the barriers are barely visible until you are quite close to the building.”

The whole development has included tearing out an old wooden staircase which gives access to the parapet and installing a new one, pointing and stonework and making safe the stonework and walkway around the clocktower and installing the safety barriers.

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Now the Trust is seeking to upgrade the chiming mechanism of the clock.

The Trust received three grants to help progress the project. £11,301.60 was secured from The Beatrice Partnership Fund, £20,000 from the Berry Burn Community Fund and £9375 from the Moray Council via the Town Centre Regeneration Fund.

“We are very grateful for all the of the funding that we have received. The project would not have been possible without those injections of cash,” explained George, “now we look forward to opening the clocktower to the public which will happen next spring in time for the tourist season.”

A young boy who was the first person to visit a north-east monument when it re-opened for the first time since the Coronavirus pandemic hit was invited back to help close it for the season.

The Tower is usually open from the start of April, but only re-opened for the first time at the start of August following the outbreak of Covid 19.

Volunteers were delighted when they arrived at the Tower to find Teddy queuing in the rain to ensure he was the first visitor and they thought it was only fitting he was there to close it too.

Trustees from the Forres Heritage Trust which looks after the tower invited nine-year-old Teddy Gadalla to lower the flag which symbolises it is now closed.

Peter Haworth, the volunteer co-ordinator for the Forres Heritage Trust which also looks after the Tolbooth on Forres High Street said: “We were so impressed with Teddy and to learn that he had been waiting in the rain for over an hour to make sure he was the first visitor to Nelson’s Tower, that we wanted to allow him to be the last person of the season too.

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“It’s fantastic that a young boy has such an interest in his town and history and that before the pandemic he was a regular visitor to the Tower.”

As well as allowing Teddy to lower the red ensign which flies to indicate the Tower is open, Teddy was also gifted a t-shirt and will be given a print of the Tower.

Teddy said: “I was really happy and excited that I was asked to close the Tower. I have been up to the Tower lots of times over the summer. We go to Grant Park a lot and I usually run up to the tower, up to the top and back down again.”

He added: “It was quite easy to take the flag down and I think I might like to be a volunteer with the Trust in the future.”

Teddy’s mum Rayne said: “We feel really honoured that the Trust remembered Teddy and that they asked him back. We have all been really excited in the lead up to it. He’s got an interest in history and it’s great to have the availability of Nelson’s Tower which we can freely visit. The volunteers have always been so kind and friendly to Teddy.”

Speaking generally about the season, Peter said despite opening almost four months later than usual, it had been busy: “Over the two months we have been open we have had 824 visitors which is on a par with previous years. This last weekend was very busy which was a really nice way to round off what has been a difficult couple of years.”

A PROJECT to develop the clock tower in one of the town’s most historic buildings into a new tourist attraction is gathering pace.

Listed building consent, planning permission and a building warrant to install safety barriers on a walkway around the clocktower at the Tolbooth have been secured and the Forres Heritage Trust who own the building has also received some further funding.

It is hoped the works will be complete by September with a view to opening the attraction to the public shortly after.

The latest successful funding of £11,301.60 was secured from The Beatrice Partnership Fund and will be used to restore the Tolbooth clock and install the safety barriers.

Already, new access stairs which lead up to the walkway have been put in place and as George Alexander, chairman of the Trust, explained as the project is nearing completion: “We are delighted that we are now in the last phase of this project to open the walkway around the clocktower which will give visitors a unique insight into the building but also wonderful views over our historic town.

“We are extremely grateful to have received this latest funding from The Beatrice Partnership Fund and delighted that Moray Council has now issued the building warrant which will allow us to get the safety barriers installed. Once this is done, we will be in a position to open.”

Previously, the Forres Heritage Trust which also looks after Nelson’s Tower, received £20,000 in funding from the Berry Burn Community Fund towards the project. That money has been used to make repairs around the walkway and to carry out extensive pointing of the stonework around the clock tower.

George added: “Clearly the Tolbooth is a historic building so we have to ensure that any works we carry out are done so in keeping with the building.”

The old wooden stairs which were removed by volunteers revealed signatures which it is believed are of workmen who worked on the tower since the early 20^th century.

George Alexander, explained: “We were able to remove the stairs quite easily and in doing so we revealed the signatures. There is always some little gem that you come across when carrying out renovations in a building with such historical significance.”

The project has already received £9375 from the Town Centre Regeneration Funding which was allocated for ‘alterations to the outside gallery around the clock tower.’

A nine-year-old boy stood for over an hour in the rain to make sure he was the first person to visit a north east monument after it re-opened for the first time since the Coronavirus pandemic hit.

Nelson’s Tower in Forres opened on Saturday. It had not been open since it closed for the season in September 2019.

And Teddy Gadalla who was a regular visitor to the Tower before the pandemic made sure he was first in the queue.

He said: “I was very excited when I found out it was opening. I used to visit it every other week and I have missed it. I still came up to Cluny Hill whilst the Tower was shut, but I was excited to be able to go up the Tower again.”

Teddy who attends Drumduan School visited the Tower with his grandma Nahed Gadalla and she added: “I got a call from his mum saying he was excited about it re-opening so he dragged me up the hill. He wanted to make sure he was first so we came up early.”

Teddy and his grandma climbed the Tower with Forres Heritage volunteer Michael Ellison who also allowed him to help raise the red ensign which signified that the Tower is open.

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Despite standing in the rain to secure his spot, the sun shone once Teddy reached the top of the tower.

Michael said: “I have been volunteering with the Trust for four years. It’s great to be able to help people see the view and share the Tower’s history. It was also great to arrive on re-opening day to a steady queue of people. It was quite emotional raising the flag for the first time in almost two years. It’s great to be back.”

Also visiting the tower was Laurie Piper, Chief Executive of Moray Speyside Tourism.

He said: “I am delighted that Nelson’s Tower is open again. It was great to see a queue of people waiting for the doors to open and the Heritage Trust volunteers so happy to welcome visitors back. Visit Moray Speyside were pleased to support the Trust and its volunteers to re-open one of the most prominent visitor attractions in Forres.”

The Forres Heritage Trust is using the Moray Speyside Check & Protect app to securely check in visitors with one simple sign-on.

The tourism organisation also supported the Trust with advice on how to re-open safely.

He said: “I am delighted to see Nelson’s Tower re-open and to see the volunteers back welcoming the visitors. It was great to see people excited for the monument to be open again. Moray Speyside was more than happy to support the Trust and its volunteers to re-open one of the most prominent visitor attractions in Forres.”

The Forres Heritage Trust is using the Moray Speyside Check & Protect app to securely check in visitors with one simple sign-on.

The tourism organisation also supported the Trust with advice on how to open safely.

The Tower which stands on Cluny Hill in Grant Park will open Friday to Monday 2pm-4pm until the end of September.  

To find out more about Nelson’s Tower and volunteering with the Trust please visit: www.forresheritage.co.uk