Dinner event to be out of this world
People in Shropshire have the chance to dine in the shadow of the moon at a major fundraising event in the county.
Guests are being invited to the evening at Enginuity in Coalbrookdale in October – dining below the Museum of the Moon exhibition which is currently touring the world as part of the 50th anniversary celebrations of the first Apollo moon landing.
The event will also feature a speaker from the Lunar Society and will be raising money for Ironbridge Gorge Museums Trust’s Fund for the Future campaign which is aiming to raise £1 million by 2021 to take advantage of match-funding – securing the heritage of Ironbridge for future generations.
Adam Siviter, fundraising manager at the trust, said: “The moon landings were probably the greatest technological achievement of the human race and we are inviting people to be part of the celebrations and help us raise vital funding at the same time.
“Our Ironbridge by Moonlight dinner will be an evening of celebration within the centre of historic industrial innovation in the Ironbridge Gorge World Heritage Site and we are asking anyone interested in supporting our campaign and marking the Apollo landings to book tickets and join us on the night.
“The evening will include a champagne reception, three-course dinner, raffle, live auction and the guest speaker from the Lunar Society.”
Tickets are available at £55 each or £500 for a table of 10 and the Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust is hoping to attract businesses and other organisations along with private individuals who would like to experience dining under the moon.
The Museum of the Moon exhibition is a touring artwork by UK artist Luke Jerram measuring six metres in diameter and featuring detailed NASA imagery of the lunar surface. At an approximate scale of 1,55,000, each centimetre of the internally lit sculpture represents five kilometres of the moon’s surface.
“Over the past three years, the exhibition has toured around the world and appeared at venues like The Houston Museum of Natural Sciences USA, the Commonwealth Games in Australia and the Natural History Museum in London,” added Mr Siviter.
“We are delighted to be able to have this wonderful event here at Ironbridge in the year of the 50th anniversary of the landing - and to be able to open our doors for visitors to enjoy such a unique experience.
“Funds raised from the evening will help support our ongoing heritage conservation and education work, as well as contribute to our Fund for the Future appeal.
“Our goal here is to hit the £1 million fundraising target in under two years. Whatever we manage to raise by the deadline will be match funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund through money raised by people playing the National Lottery.”
Six Apollo crafts have landed on the moon with 12 astronauts walking on its surface – the world watched on July 20 1969 as the Apollo 11 landed and Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin’s walked on the moon.
To book for the Ironbridge by Moonlight dinner on October 24 go to www.ironbridge.org.uk/events
