As the Guild celebrates its centenary with a retrospective exhibition looking back on 100 years of community life, some visitors are finding much more than local history on display.

When Melanie Sumner and her husband Keith recently visited the exhibition, they discovered that many of the photographs, stories and memories reflected their own family's remarkable connection with the Guild. In many ways, the exhibition reads like a family album.

The Sumner family's involvement spans generations and touches many aspects of Guild life, from drama and visual arts to craft and education.

Among the exhibition highlights are photographs of Melanie's brothers, Benjamin and Nicholas Sumner, who were regular performers with the Wilmslow Guild Players. One memorable production featured in the display is the 1967 Christmas performance of Alice in Wonderland.

For Benjamin, those early experiences on the Guild stage helped spark a lifelong passion for theatre. After attending nearby Fulshaw CE Primary School, he went on to build a distinguished career as an international theatre director.

The family's creative roots run even deeper through Melanie's father, Roger Sumner, a respected art tutor at the Guild and an influential figure in the Northern Art movement. His paintings captured the character of Northern industrial life with warmth and simplicity. One example, Skipping in Bourne Street (1974), reflects themes often associated with L. S. Lowry, and Roger's work continues to be highly regarded by collectors today.

Creativity continues to flourish throughout the wider family. Melanie's cousin is a renowned willow artist who now shares her skills with Guild students as a popular tutor.

For Melanie, the Guild has never simply been a place to learn. It has been woven into family life for decades. During the 1980s, while raising her young son, she attended jewellery and silversmithing classes under tutor Graham Hann, making use of the Guild's crèche facilities. At the same time, Keith developed his own creative interests through ceramic studies.

Stories like the Sumners' help explain why the Guild has remained such an important part of local life for 100 years. Across generations, it has provided a place where creativity can be discovered, nurtured and shared, with skills, passions and friendships passed from one generation to the next.