A monthly Heritage Café at the Red Brick Building in Glastonbury is proving to be a popular hub for reconnecting with the town's history and community.

Launched in September as part of a project funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund, the café celebrates the stories of Morlands and Baily's, two iconic sheepskin tanneries and factories that played a major role in the area's industrial heritage.

The café offers a warm and welcoming space for people to share memories, catch up with friends, and reconnect with former colleagues. While the focus is on those who worked at the tanneries, the event is open to everyone, drawing visitors keen to explore Glastonbury's history.

Attendance has grown steadily, with 20 to 30 people joining each session. Many visitors bring along friends or family, and new faces are welcomed every month. Items from the sheepskin industry, such as copies of the Morlands Magazine and an iron bale hook used for heavy wool bales, have sparked lively discussions. Donations are recorded and archived for future display and learning activities.

Gerald Billing, a former Morlands apprentice who later worked in the raw skin buying department, has attended every café since it began. He said: "The meetings are getting better each time," and has encouraged old colleagues to join. Roger Bond, another visitor, fondly recalled his time at Morlands: "Looking back, I think what wonderful times they were."

Marlene Pursey, who worked in the Chairman's office, reflected on the importance of the people she worked with: "The people were my favourite thing at the factory." She added that she has reconnected with friends she hadn't seen in years.

Heritage Project Co-ordinator Alison Horgan said: "Each month we see new people, and there are so many interesting conversations that happen. And there's a lot of laughter too. It's wonderful when people recognise old friends and colleagues and share their memories."

Volunteer Carolyn has noticed the positive impact the café is having: "I've seen that people are often quite nervous when they come for the first time, but the transformation is amazing. They leave smiling and relaxed, keen to come back again."

The café meets on the last Friday of every month from 10am to 12.30pm at the Red Brick Building. The next session is scheduled for Friday, 31st January, and is open to everyone, whether they have a connection to Morlands and Baily's or are simply interested in local history.

For more information, visit the Red Brick Building website at www.redbrickbuilding.co.uk or email [email protected].