Wandsworth’s history highlighted with a murder mystery and a magic show

By Kate Dennett

A festival celebrating the historical role of entertainment has began ready for this summer.

Wandsworth Heritage Festival began on 25 May and will be hosts to daily events to celebrate entertainment.

The festival runs until 9 June and explores this year’s theme Entertaining Wandsworth.

There are so many exciting events on offer for residents to enjoy and look back at how entertainment has affected their lives.

The highlights of the festival include a literary themed murder mystery, a magic show and a talk about the role of prison in fiction and film.

There will be many exciting talks on offer during the festival led by well-known guests.

Author Pat Heery will be giving a talk about the historic Putney Velodrome. This landmark is recognisable to anyone who lives in the area and is a great chance to learn more about the cycling heritage in Putney.

Historian Neil Robson is also taking part in the festival and hosting a talk on Wandsworth and Battersea’s music halls. If you are an avid music fan or wish to learn about the history of music in Wandsworth, this talk will be an insightful chance to hear more.

Wandsworth Prison Museum’s curator will also be taking part in the festival. The talk will explore the role that prison has had historically in film and fiction. This event will no doubt appeal to any crime fans out there.

Wandsworth Heritage Festival will also be hosting a more creative murder and crime themed event. Their literary themed murder mystery event will be hosted by Wandsworth librarians and will no doubt be a thrilling chance to celebrate entertainment.

Children will also be able to enjoy a magic show hosted by Battersea magician and watchmaker John Neville Maskelyne. They will be taken on a journey into 19th century Wandsworth to experience some magic tricks and learn quirky facts about Wandsworth’s history.

The festival is a great chance to get involved with the community as many local groups and societies collaborate on this event. Wandsworth Heritage Festival gives these groups a chance to show residents their archives on Wandsworth’s heritage.

Cabinet member for community services Cllr Steffi Sutters said: “The Wandsworth Heritage Festival is a chance for the whole community to get together and celebrate the borough’s rich history. I would encourage everyone to take a look at the programme, find an event that interests them and learn more about how Wandsworth became the vibrant, diverse place it is today.”

Wandsworth Heritage Festival is hosted by the charitable social enterprise GLL. They run library and heritage services for Wandsworth Council and host this event to help preserve Wandsworth’s heritage.

Wandsworth Heritage Festival will be hosts to many more daily events about entertainment. Covering everything from guided walks to exhibitions on costumes, there is something that appeals to everyone at the festival.

Copies of the festival programme are available from many local libraries, so make sure you don’t miss your chance to catch these entertaining events.