To mark the 50th anniversary of the opening of its headquarters at Borderway Mart this August, Harrison & Hetherington will step back in time and try to recreate the first sale.
To mark the occasion, the Harrison & Hetherington team are looking for photos, mementos, and memories from the farming community of the inaugural sale, opening, and early days at Borderway.
Since that moment half a century ago when H&H made the monumental move from its old and aptly named Botchergate site in Carlisle city centre, Borderway has grown into one of the foremost livestock trading centre in the country.
H&H is appealing to the farming community to help commemorate the anniversary with archive information and materials of the first sales at the newly opened mart and the last days at Botchergate.
H&H will celebrate 50 years at Borderway with a week of anniversary sales, starting on Monday August 19 and Wednesday August 21 with prime and store sales, and ending on Friday August 23 with a recreation of the opening day sale 50 years ago.
Managing director Scott Donaldson said he believed there was a treasure trove of archive material that farming families might be willing to contribute to help celebrate the big day.
He said: “Many of the farming families whom we see at our Borderway sales today were there on that day too, perhaps a generation or two ago. We’re hoping very much that they have photos and other materials like receipts and records or even newspaper cuttings from the earliest sales.
“What we are looking for are any archive materials relating to Borderway that people might have, or their views or their parents’ or grandparents’ views on attending the new mart for the first time.
“These are the people who have made Borderway the success it has become, and we hope they will let us tap into their memories, share their experiences and join us in our 50th commemoration.”
If you have any photographs, materials, memories or any other contribution you could make to the Borderway 50th Anniversary archive, contact Laura Millar via email at [email protected] or call 07824367068.
