For the last two decades, Acton residents have been looking forward to receiving the Historic Acton calendar about this time of year. But the coronavirus has changed everything. There will be no hard copy in 2021, but Heritage Acton is still going ahead with the project, intending to post the calendar on-line, one month at a time.
The historic Acton calendars follow an established format. Each month is themed around a historic personality, place or event, and accompanied by photos, stories, anecdotes and minutiae from Acton's storied past. “The calendar has become an important feature of Acton life,” according to committee member Anne McIntyre. “It offers a unique perspective on people and events in the town's history.”
Over the years, dozens, if not hundreds, of people have submitted stories, ideas, text and photos for the annual calendar. But this year, it became apparent to the committee that things were going to be different for the 2021 edition. “At the beginning of the year everyone was so socially isolated and cautious that it was somewhat difficult to manage planning meetings and interviews, so we didn't honestly start to get organized around this project until the fall,” said McIntyre. “For a hard copy all material must be to the printer by early November and that just wasn't feasible this year.”
Furthermore, getting the calendar into Acton homes was going to be problematic. “Distribution was definitely going to be a puzzle for which we didn't have an immediate answer. We had always relied on the Tanner's assistance in the past,” said McIntyre.
McIntyre thinks the historic calendar will return to a printed form next year. Meanwhile, Heritage Acton is keeping the project alive by offering a free on-line version in monthly segments. According to committee chair Alan Scott, the first month will feature Micro Plastics, an important Acton industry from bygone days. Historic Acton 2021 calendar is expected to be available on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and the Town Hall Centre website before January.
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