After years of effort, Bakewell’s love locks have a new home, with a special unveiling planned for Valentine’s Day
Bakewell: After a long four-year journey, the love locks are finally settled. They now have a new home at Thornbridge Hall. The big reveal is set for Valentine’s Day.
A team of 140 volunteers is busy threading the locks onto steel beams. It’s a heartwarming sight, really. Everyone is excited to see the ‘Love Locker’ come to life.
The project has saved a ton of money thanks to generous donations. Gripple and other local businesses stepped up to help. It’s amazing how the community came together.
Emma Harrison, the owner of Thornbridge Hall, designed the structure herself. She even got a structural engineer to check her work. Talk about dedication!
Emma shared that they have a local choir lined up for the launch. Her staff is working hard, moving bags of locks around. It’s a real team effort.
She’s received countless emails from people sharing their stories. Some are funny, like the guy who wanted to find his lock to toss it after a breakup. He was told to bring a hacksaw!
The campaign started when the council announced repairs to the Weir Footbridge. Richard Young, a passionate advocate for the locks, suggested storing them until a new home was found.
In a last-minute effort, Richard called Emma, and the rest is history. She couldn’t bear the thought of those memories being scrapped.
To help visitors find their locks, Emma’s team created a treasure map. There’s even a bell to ring once you find your lock. How cool is that?
Local folks have chipped in too, raising £1,800 for materials. Emma has also donated a lot personally. It’s truly a community project.
Emma has been touched by the stories she’s heard. One family came to honor their son who loved the locks. It’s moments like these that make it all worthwhile.
Richard Young summed it up perfectly: “It’s a triumph. We’ve had our ups and downs, but I’m just glad they have a new home.”
