A FLINTSHIRE archive centre will be hosting an open day to provide an insight into the history housed there.

The event at the North East Wales Archives, in Hawarden, will take place on September 24 between 10am and 2pm.

It will involve talks and exhibitions relating to the history of Courtaulds, the firm which had three factory sites in Flint: Aber Works, Deeside Mills and Castle Works, and two rayon production facilities at Greenfield. At its height, the Courtauld company employed over 10,000 people in Flintshire.

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Artefacts and machinery from the Flintshire sites will be on display, courtesy of Flintshire Museums; with an exhibition about women workers at Courtaulds, created by NEWA in partnership with Glyndwr University.

Flint councillor Vicky Perfect, who began work at Courtaulds at the age of 15, will share her experiences of working there in the 1960s; and Sophie Fish from Flintshire Museums (AURA) will give a talk on the general history of the sites, and the partnership project between AURA and the Courtauld Institute, London.

The Leader: Worker at Courtaulds, 1970sWorker at Courtaulds, 1970s

There will also be the opportunity to see a film, produced by the Women’s Archive of Wales, called ‘Voices from the Factory Floor’ on factory workers in Wales, including Courtaulds, Flintshire; and a sneak preview of a new musical written on the same theme, called ‘Tic Toc’, which will be touring around North Wales in 2023.

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Behind the scenes tours of the historic Old Rectory building in Hawarden will take you to the secure, environmentally-controlled strongrooms, where unique and irreplaceable archives relating to the history of Flintshire have been kept since the 1950s.

You will also visit the Conservation Studio, where the Conservator will explain techniques for preserving these fascinating items for future generations.

Booking is required for Tours and Talks – please contact NEWA for details, tel 01244 532364 or email: archives@newa.wales.