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Events lined up to put spotlight on historic buildings

AN organisation which looks after two of the town’s most historic buildings has a year of events lined up to ensure the attractions remain popular.

The Forres Heritage Trust is responsible for the town’s Tolbooth which sits in the centre of the High Street and Nelson’s Tower which stands on Cluny Hill.

Next week, the Forres Heritage Trust will host its second Winter Talk of the year, with the first having been a near sell-out event.

The Tolbooth courtroom will be the location for an event held in association with the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival for a second consecutive year and Nelson’s Tower will be the focus for a free family fun day.

There are also plans in place to commemorate 75 years since VE Day in May and the courtroom will be the venue for a wedding – the first to ever be held in the building.

Murray Drummond, who is one of the twelve trustees, co-ordinates the annual talks and helps plan the other events said: “Last year, we introduced some new events to the Heritage Trust’s schedule and they all proved very popular and successful, so we are giving them a go again. The Winter Talks are always well attended and often sell-out.”

He added: “We are also delighted to be part of the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival again and to be including a new event for VE Day, although the plans for that are under wraps at the moment. Our ever-popular photographic exhibitions will be back too and we will once again be taking part in Moray Doors Open Day. There is rarely going to be a month when there is not something happening at the Tolbooth or the Tower.”

The next Winter Talk will take place on February 13 with a presentation from Forres-born Jane Yeadon who will reflect on her writing family. This will be followed by the final talk of the series by David Baxter from the National Maritime Museum in Portsmouth who will return to explore the aftermath and legacy of Trafalgar.

The family fun day at Nelson’s Tower will take place on April 18 and visitors will be able to scale the Tower, make crafts and enjoy a bouncy castle and face painting.

“Last year, our family fun day was hugely popular, and it was a great way to get young people up to the monument to enjoy all that it has to offer. We welcomed over 300 people who enjoyed taking part in a cannon ball hunt and the opportunity to make crowns, swords and shields.”

Over the last year, the Tolbooth has been undergoing renovations and is becoming a popular venue for events and in September will host its first wedding.

“We are thrilled we are getting recognised as a venue,” explained Murray, “and although clearly a private event, we are delighted to be hosting a wedding in the beautifully renovated courtroom. It just goes to show that all the hard work from our volunteers is paying off, and that there is scope to keep both the Tolbooth and Nelson’s Tower relevant in 2020.”

For further information contact Claire Doughty on 07846145050 or email claire@clairedoughtypublicity.uk