Cooper Tires’ artefacts and anecdotes – Melksham library hosts talk on former employee’s creative side

Historical artefacts from Cooper Tires will be at the Melksham library next month, courtesy of the Wiltshire Museum, which will also be giving a free talk on a former employee of the factory, Eric Walrond (1898 – 1966).

Eric Walrond was an unassuming Caribbean man who lived in Bradford-on-Avon in the 1940s. “He worked at the Cooper Tire and Rubber Factory and what many of his neighbours did not realise was that Walrond was an established writer, author of Tropic Death, and part of 1920s New York’s ‘Harlem Renaissance’ cultural community of black creatives,” explains community library manager, Wendy Barker. “His writing explores topics such as racism and his personal struggles with mental health.”

The event is on Wednesday 3rd April from 2pm to 3pm, tickets are free; however, people need to book their space with the museum.

To book, visit www.wiltshiremuseum.org.uk

For further questions, email: hello@wiltshiremuseum.org.uk or ring: 01380 727369