Bassetlaw 93-year-old set to reopen popular tourist attraction 86 years after her first visit

Iris Jean Dixon, from Retford, first visited the Heights of Abraham, in Matlock Bath, in 1937 when she was eight years old.

In 2022, to celebrate her 93rd birthday, her family brought her to take her first ride on the cable cars and revisit the Heights for the first time in 85 years.

And on Saturday, February 11, he’ll be returning a special guest to push the green button and restart the cable cars for the 2023 season.

Iris said: “I could not believe all the changes that had been made, the person who had built and developed this must have had a wonderful imagination. I feel very excited to be given the privilege of pressing the green button and hope they have a lovely busy summer.”

In recent years, the Heights has invited guests from the previous year to return and re-start the cable cars at the start of each season.

Spokesman David Thornton said:: “We were very taken by Iris’s story, and couldn’t believe she hadn’t been back for 85 years!.Following her successful visit last year we felt she was the ideal guest to start our 2023 season.”

Iris will be joined by members of her family, and will push the button at 9.50am before taking her second cable car ride to the summit where she will be met by Heights Development Director, Rupert Pugh, and then enjoy a day out and lunch at the Vista restaurant.

The Heights of Abraham opens on Saturday, February 11 at 10am, and remains open for the February half term school holidays before changing to long weekends (Fridays to Monday) and then daily from March 24.

For full opening times and further details, visit the website: www.heightsofabraham.com.