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Heritage weekend turns back time

IN A SPIN: Eight-year-old Emma Torkington tries her hand at spinning during the bicentenary craft exhibition.

More than 200 years of local history was on show as Fairfield Moravian Settlement celebrated its bicentenary.

Hundreds of tools, household items, clothing and documents dating back to the 1780s could be seen during the heritage weekend in Fairfield Square, deep in the heart of Droylsden.

For residents it was a wonderful opportunity to dress in traditional Moravian costume and share with visitors the fascinating history of their church and community, home to some of the finest Georgian buildings in the country where the early settlers followed a strict, austere lifestyle.

The bicentenary marked 200 years since the church was completed - a focal point around which the settlement houses were built.

To bring the history of the cobbled square to life, many of the female residents wore period dress adorned with the ribbons which traditionally were a sign of marital status - blue for married women, pink for singles and white for widows.

Displays included a kitchen with an old-fashioned range, mangle and cooking pots, a sweet shop counter and a selection of tools used by farmers, weavers, hat makers, cobblers, bakers and other tradespeople.

A group of almost 100 walked from Dukinfield Moravian Church to Fairfield for a commemorative service,  with banners held high and a brass band leading the way.

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