As part of our campaign to bring Holy Rosary Church in Fitton Hill back into community use, I visited the building again alongside Kim from Spark, Mark, CEO of First Choice Homes Oldham, Lydia from the Save Britain’s Heritage campaign, Ottillia from the Oldham Mural & Cultural Heritage Trust, and colleagues from Vistry, as we continue to push forward our campaign to save this important part of our local heritage.
At the heart of our campaign is not just saving a building, but protecting the history, memories and community spirit it represents. Crucially, we are also trying to secure urgent roof repairs to protect the rare Grade II-listed George Mayer Marton mural inside from water damage over the coming winter. The roof needs urgent attention to stop the water ingress.
I was delighted to have obtained the original artist’s scale design of the mural from 1955 — a piece of history in its own right. I’ll get this framed, and once the building reopens, I’d love to see it displayed inside.
The sketch is particularly important because it shows what lies beneath the white paint. When test patches of the white emulsion paint were removed, they revealed that the original artist’s work remains in place. We don’t yet know whether there is damage elsewhere, but it’s exciting to think that the mural could potentially be restored to its original glory.
There is still a lot to do, but it was encouraging to bring everyone together again, share ideas and maintain the momentum behind our campaign. I hope that, when we successfully reopen the building, we’ll be able to frame and display the original sketch inside for the community to enjoy.
Buildings matter, not just for the bricks and mortar, but because of the social story they tell, and the importance that places for people to come together hold for the future.
