Step back in time with a free, interactive digital activity trail through the town
Oldham Council is using state-of-the-art technology to enable people to travel back in time and explore the town’s rich history in a fun and engaging new way.
Photo by Jeremy Sutcliffe / Openverse
‘Oldham Time Trek’ is a free augmented reality (AR) adventure, developed by the local council, High Street Safari and Dare to Know Theatre. The project has also had special contributions from Jeremy Sutcliffe, Secretary of the Oldham Area Civic Society.
Funded through the government’s High Street Accelerator programme, the trail will run for at least a year. As well as attracting families to the town centre, the trek supports a number of initiatives that engage with Oldham’s heritage. For example, a new archives centre is due to open in the town’s Spindles shopping centre later this summer, and September will boast both the Oldham Histories Festival and Heritage Open Days.
There’s no need to register or to download an app. To take part in the time trek, you simply need a mobile phone or a tablet that can scan QR codes. Instead, you simply follow the map to 12 stops around the town, which you can visit in any order. In one go, the trial takes 60-90 minutes but you can take as much time as you like, even over several days.
Each of the 12 stops boats a plaque or window sticker with a special QR code, which you simply can with your smart device. Along the way, you step into the shoes of local hero and suffragette Annie Kenney, spot elephant carvings and interact with charming animals. There are stories to read and characters to take selfies with – which can be posted using the tag #LoveOldham.
At each stop, you also collect a letter you can use to solve a word puzzle – and then claim a free digital prize for children and, while stocks last, a treat from the local branch of Waterstones.
Maggie Hughes, Owner of the clothing shop Zutti in Oldham and Chair of the High Street Accelerator Partnership, says: ‘We’re delighted to be launching the free trail just in time for summer. Families will love solving puzzles and posing for selfies whilst learning about the people and places that make Oldham’s high street so special.’
Cllr Peter Dean, Cabinet Member for Thriving Communities and Culture at Oldham Council, adds: ‘This trail brings Oldham’s proud past to life in a way the whole family can enjoy. From suffragettes to circus animals, it’s packed with stories that have shaped our town. It’s a fun and interactive way to get out, get walking, and see Oldham in a new light. Why not make a day of it with a visit to Gallery Oldham or some local shopping along the way?’
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