https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p8SsKQamw2Y

Vintage vehicles in the High Street.

There were 55 events across the borough of Guildford, and in the town centre many buildings were opened up as usual.

There never ceased to be a queue at Abbot’s Hospital, while the Royal Grammar School’s chained library ran tours, and the Proud to be Surrey – Students of Faith exhibition at St Mary’s Church – was very popular,

Exhibitions and activities were on offer at Guildford Museum and Guildford House, and there were tours up the tower of  St Nicolas Church, as well as talks.

Guildford Town Guides led walks focused on Guildford’s history and heritage.

Credit must go to the Guildford Town Guides and to the volunteer stewards, organised by the Guildford Society and the Friends of Guildford Museum.

Thank you to the Surrey Police Band and the Guildford Rock Choir, Castle Green Bowling Club that has been celebrating its centenary, and John Dennis and Richard Kirwin for generously sharing some fantastic historic vehicles.

Surrey Police Band in the Castle Grounds.

And thanks also to the wonderful officers at Guildford Borough Council who supported ideas, made things possible and brought everything together.

A time to discover more about the olden days.

So what next? That is the challenge we must set ourselves.

Can heritage make a difference in the town?

Should we be doing more with it?

In the age of the internet, town centres are struggling. And yet high streets offer something the internet can never compete with – a real experience.

Guildford’s heritage adds to that experience, offering something that is truly unique.

It is easy to get bogged down with the problems facing the town and assume nothing can be done. What Heritage Open Days should remind us is that you don’t always need big budgets to achieve big things. Sometimes you just need big ideas.