Momo’s aims to be a centre of St Helens heritage

Momo's on Westfield Street is back open after months of frustration caused by lockdown.

Co-owners Claire Rigby and Colin Clemmit have used the time to add more character and colour to the venue, which opened in 2019.

Chalon Way-based firm Retro Chimps and local artists have helped add more features to the unique design, which has a distinct St Helens flavour and aims to appeal to both children and adults.

Inside the cafe Pictures: Ian Bonnell - Momo's Instagram

The front end of the building – which formerly housed the Dali bar nightspot – is a cafe serving food and drinks, while the back is a heritage room complete with an Aladdin’s cave of books, photos and documents on local history.

Outside there is beautiful sensory garden.

Ex-Cowley High pupil Claire, 41, is a previous Pride of St Helens nominee for her efforts trying to knit different parts of the town’s community together and has described the venue as a safe haven for people from different walks of life.

But she also wants to build the space as a hub of heritage and education, where people can share facts and stories about local life.

Prior to Covid, the venue, which moved from Cotham Street to its current location two years ago, was host to workshops, children’s groups and meetings.

Claire Rigby has big ambitions for Momo's

Mother-of-one Claire, who is fascinated by St Helens history, had aimed to build on Momo’s heritage connections by staging events in the town centre, including a Victorian festival last year

However, the pandemic put paid to those plans.

Instead the Momo's team has used the time to fine tune the cafe and improve the back room, which is packed with books, photographs, a vinyl record player, a piano and plenty of decorative features that give a nod to St Helens’ past and present.

Wall features in the cafe Pic: Ian Bonnell

A sign that used to be on the front of town centre bakery Lievesley's and a model of the Friends Meeting House are just a couple of those.

Billinge-based Photographer Ian Bonnell was recently invited down to Momo's to capture images of its reopening.

Claire told the Star: "It's been a really frustrating time, opening and then closing because of the lockdowns but we've been supported by grants and the council has been brilliant helping us access them.

“We had all these events lined up and couldn't do them so instead we've put our energies into building this base (the heritage space) for when things are ready to open, so there is no stopping us.

The children's reading room Picture: Ian Bonnell

“We have had support from the council which helped us with a grant application for some books and we've had donations from people too."

The space in Momo’s, loosely known as the St Helens Heritage Centre, aims to bring together people from across the community who have a fascination with the town's past.

There is a plan to link up with groups in other districts and villages, including Rainford.

The sensory garden Pic: Ian Bonnell

The room blends physical archives with modern technology and computers.

There is also a huge screen and when Momo’s begins hosting events again the plan is that people can "Zoom in" to join people in the room.

It opens the prospect of St Helens expats dotted around the world joining in the discussion about our rich past.

Claire, who has shared videos of herself during the pandemic visiting some of the borough's hidden treasures, added: "St Helens' history is like a huge puzzle with people everywhere with knowledge who has a piece.

“We want to help fit those pieces together as a community.

“We want to tell more stories of  women's history – women often get left out – we hear about the Beechams, Gambles and Pilkingtons but we want to share what the women were doing."

Claire and the Momo's are keen to work with dementia groups, which could bring along members to join in discussions, tell stories and look at pictures of the old days.

She has a desire to inspire people to love local history after her own passion for it was sparked by a lecturer, David Harrison, when she went to study an access to higher education course at St Helens College before progressing to university in Liverpool to study Theology and Religious studies.

A feature in the garden Pic: Ian Bonnell

Claire, who after growing up in St Helens had spells living in New York and London before returning to St Helens, hopes to instil the same desire and quest for knowledge in those who visit Momo’s.

Ambitions include hosting afternoon events (rather than in the evening) in the heritage room, as she believes older people may prefer sessions at that time, and expanding into the upstairs of the venue to create an even larger meeting space.

Got a story for the Star? Contact Andrew by emailing andrew.kilmurray@nqnw.co.uk.