RESIDENTS are being urged to help create new artwork for Halton, the reflects on the history of the area.

Head to Runcorn’s Percival Lane Park on May 21 to work with artists Neil Musson and Jono Retallick.

As part of Halton Borough Council’s Borough of Culture celebrations, Mussonand+ Retallick are working with the Celebrating Halton’s Heritage project to bring Halton’s historic trades back to life. The artists will set up a ‘rope walk’ in the exact location where rope for the shipping industry was made years ago.

Rope making was a popular trade in Runcorn and Widnes in the 1900s. In the late 1850s there were four ropemakers in Runcorn alone, many of which supplied rope to the booming shipbuilding industry locally.

The artists will make rope with help from local people, twisting hemp in the traditional way. Ropemaking will be combined with telling and recording stories linked to historic trades, joining the two together to make a unique artwork.

Families can join in with small scale rope making activities and themed storytelling from renowned performer Gav Cross.

The artwork will be part of a new exhibition at Heritage HQ in St Marie’s Church, Widnes in June. The Ropewalk exhibition opens on Sunday, June 12.