The Saltaire Collection team were really looking forward to a summer of fun filled events to showcase the Collection and tell people all about ourselves. Like so many others we were disappointed when everything was cancelled due to the ongoing Covid 19 pandemic. We hope you have all stayed safe and well and we can’t wait to resume our normal activities soon.
Shipley College (the home of the Saltaire Collection) was closed In April when a special delivery of Alpacas arrived by post.
Premises manager Lucy Pripachailo has been holding the fort at College and took the Alpacas into safe keeping. During the long, lonely days at College Lucy became quite fond of the little pack of Alpacas who were keeping her company. Lucy sent us a photograph of two of them in the College library and we loved it – so we asked her if she’d take them around the village and capture their adventures on camera.
The photographs were posted on the Saltaire Collection Facebook page and proved hugely popular with our followers, cheering everyone one up in these difficult times. People were asked to name the intrepid pair and when the votes were counted Titus and Caroline were the most popular names. Here are some photographs of their adventures.
We were hoping to sell the Alpacas at the summer events to raise much needed funds towards the upkeep of the Saltaire Collection but that will have to wait for now until happier times are with us.
In the meantime you can support the Saltaire Collection by making a donation through Just Giving, using the button below. No matter the size, every gift is critical to our work in helping to preserve Saltaire’s heritage and to support learners interested in studying it.
We will make sure Titus and Caroline are there to welcome students back to Shipley College at some point in September and of course they will be there to greet the volunteers returning to the Saltaire Collection room to resume their dedicated archival work. Hopefully they will also make an appearance at the Christmas lights switch on where you can purchase your very own cuddly Alpaca.
Coming soon – follow our facebook page for details of a competition to win your own cuddly Alpaca