60 Year Old Time Capsule Unveiled at Engineering and Construction Centre Opening

On Wednesday 20th May 2015, Riverside College celebrated the official opening of the Engineering and Construction Skills Centre, a state of the art industry training centre with over £3.6 million worth of investment.

An event was held at the College to mark the occasion, with attendees including the Mayor of Halton, Councillor Shaun Osborne, industry employers, members of Halton Borough Council, local councillors, college governors, staff from local schools, and other VIP guests.

Keynote speaker Hugh O’Connor (General Manager at Merseylink), and guest speakers David Marsden, Technical Manager at Northern Drives and Controls, and former apprentice at Riverside College, and Simon Reed, Sector Manager of Advanced Manufacturing (LEP), provided talks about the importance of specialist training and future industry plans.

A sixty year old time capsule, discovered during the renovations and build of the Engineering and Construction Skills Centre, was also unveiled to guests during the presentation. The capsule was discovered by workers, buried behind the original College foundation stone, which was laid on Wednesday 22nd April 1953.

The unmarked lead box was opened to reveal the ‘Laying of the Foundation Stone’ event programme, two local newspapers, Widnes Weekly News and Widnes Guardian, a set of coins dated from 1953, a set of stamps, and minutes from a council meeting prior to burial.

A brand new time capsule was also on display, with contents replicating the original, plus other items to reflect the modern day College. The new capsule is set to be buried outside the Skills Centre, with the original foundation stone to mark the location.

Following the talks, the Mayor of Halton, Councillor Shaun Osborne cut the ribbon to officially open the centre. Guests were then provided tours around the building, experiencing the brand new facilities and state of the art equipment first hand.

The 1953 time capsule contents will soon be on display in the College reception, and a video of the original foundation stone laying event is available to view at the link below:

Laying of Foundation Stone by the Earl of Derby, Widnes College of Further Education (1953) from NWfilmarchive on Vimeo.