Time to take your hats off to Denton

Tuesday, 22 February 2022 15:50

The stormy weather might have blown most hats away but that didn't stop the launch of Denton's new hat sculpture trail at the weekend.

The new “Hats Off to Denton” trail is Tameside Council’s way of tipping its hat to the industry which made Denton’s name.

It has been a project aimed at bringing together the entire community in a celebration of the town’s heritage.

The 15-hat trail – five of them giant – is now on display at various locations around Denton town centre until Sunday, March 13, following Saturday’s official launch which was supported by Tameside Radio.

Also at the launch was the Civic Mayor of Tameside Cllr Janet Cooper and her Consort, Mr Dennis Fitzpatrick, and Denton Councillors, Leader of Tameside Council Cllr Brenda Warrington, Cllr Vincent Ricci and Cllr George Jones.

The Denton Create Centre, which has played a key part in the trail, hosted the launch with the weather curtailing outdoor activities.

Each hat now on show is a unique creation painted by a local artist with many inspired by schools and community groups.

Town-centre shops were invited to get in contact to display hats in their window and a map of where you can find the displays is published below.

Denton was a centre of hatting for 300 years and in Victorian times was home to 86 companies.

It was also the birthplace of Thomas Bowler, the man who designed the famous hat that bears his name.

The tradition continues even now in the shape of Denton Hats which supplies the trademark Gatsby caps for the popular BAFTA-winning BBC television drama “Peaky Blinders”.

A statue outside Denton Town Hall called “Tipping the Denton Linney” commemorates the link with the hatting industry which once employed almost half the town’s population.

Cllr Leanne Feeley, Tameside Council’s executive member with responsibility for culture, said: “Denton was once one of the main hatting centres not just in Britain, but the entire world, and the industry was a source of great civic pride. ‘Hats Off’ provides us with an opportunity to rekindle that pride by showing that creativity and community spirit are still at the heart of what makes Denton such a great place.”

All the artists involved are based in Greater Manchester and several are from Tameside.

Among the participating schools and community groups are St Thomas More RC College, Denton Community College, Denton Local History Society, Gibson’s Dance Centre, Denton Brass Band, Beavers and Cubs, The Create Centre and Tameside Air Cadets.