THE Barrow Market has played a significant role in the commercial and social development of the town but its early history appears to be very poorly recorded.

There is even doubt about when it opened – with various claims for dates between 1864 and 1868!

A new project called Market Tales aims to find out more and is being run until next April by Furness-based charity Signal Film and Media.

There is an official launch event at Signal’s Cooke's Studios headquarters, in Abbey Road, on Wednesday, October 18.

The free event is from 6pm to 7.30pm and will include drinks, snacks, and a talk from local historian Bill Myers about what’s currently known of the market’s history.

Project Manager Julia Parks said the first half of the programme is to research, record, uncover and explore the role of Barrow’s market, building up an in-depth picture of the market’s little known social history.

There will be archive research sessions, oral history training, storytelling and sound workshops, plus visits to other north-western markets and the opening of a temporary stall in Barrow Market.

After Christmas the second half of the programme will be a series of hands-on workshops with artists, writers and historians to interpret what has been discovered about the market and its history through sound, live theatre and filmmaking as well as an online blog and a final printed publication.

Signal Film and Media is to collaborate with The Ashton Theatre Group to deliver an exciting finale performance to be held in the market in Easter 2018.

Paul Smith, market supervisor, said: “I’m looking forward to bringing the market’s history back to the community and showing how it’s changed over the years,”

There are many ways to volunteer with the project, including learning new digital skills or sharing stories of living near, working or visiting the market.

You can find out how to take part by coming along to the launch event on Wednesday, or by sending an email to the project manager at julia@signalfilmandmedia.co.uk, or calling 01229 838592 for further information.

The most significant event in the relatively-recent history of the market was its move in 1971 from beside Barrow Town Hall in Market Street to a new home in Duke Street as part of a major town centre redevelopment.

This new – but not quite finished – building was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth on the same day as the launch of HMS Sheffield at the Vickers shipyard.

The Mail on Thursday, June 10, described the atmosphere as thousands of people waited patiently for the Queen and Prince Philip to complete a visit to Barrow Town Hall.

It noted: “Excitement grew outside the town hall as word passed round that the Queen was about to come out.

“And when the royal party did emerge the crowd went wild – cheering, waving flags and singing ‘Happy birthday dear Philip’.

“The walk from the town hall to the market was very informal with both the Queen and Prince Philip stopping to exchange words with the people of Barrow.

“Mrs Bessy Roberts, of Mardale Grove, Barrow, took a few minutes off work as a bus conductor to watch.

“She was delighted when Prince Philip stopped and asked about her job.

“She said: ‘He also asked about a little badge I was wearing. It has a picture of an engine on it’.

“The Queen stopped to have a brief chat with housewife Mrs Joan McGrath, of Plymouth Street, Walney.

“Said Mrs McGrath: ‘She said what a lovely day it was’.

“Mrs McGrath was so taken aback by it all she could not remember what else the Queen said to her.

“The Prince also had a word with St John Ambulance Brigade corporal, Mr Sydney Norman Brown, of Chatsworth Street, Barrow.

“Mr Brown said: ‘He asked me if I had had any patients yet’.

“As the royal party made its way through a crowd of cheering children, at one point in the Market Hall, ‘Happy Birthday’ broke out once more and Prince Philip observed with a smile: ‘I seem to have heard that before somewhere’.

“The Queen unveiled a plaque officially opening the market.”

Royal visitors are used to the smell of fresh paint and at Barrow market hall it was clear that the building job was far from finished.

The Mail noted: “Prince Philip was obviously in jovial mood and brought a laugh from a group of workmen when, according to one of them, he asked for how much longer they could spin the job out.

“Originally, it had been hoped that the market hall would be completed for the occasion.

“Instead the royal couple saw workmen putting finishing touches to the hall and also saw other parts of the central development area.

“Alderman Tyson, who escorted the Queen on her 30-minute tour of the development, said she had told him that she did not very often get the opportunity to see a partially completed building.