Heavenly weekend as community prepares to become UK's first reality village

Altham’s Angels Festival will see the village launch its own version of Pokemon GO but with angels.

It will use exactly the same technology as Pokemon so vistors can use their own tablets and smart phones to download the Altham Angels app so they can play the game. They will have to play the 12 “augmented” angels cards then find another six hidden angels which will be scattered around the village.

If you get all 12 answers correct and find the other six then you qualify to enter the final round to play for a super prize. The game is being developed by Sundown Solutions Ltd, who are the main sponsors of the weekend which takes place from Friday to Sunday, September 9th to 11th, together with the Beauty Emporium in Accrington.

Other highlights of the weekend include a display of lifesize angels around the village and as there is no theme residents can let their imagination run riot so visitors can expect to see Holy Angels alongside Hell’s Angels and perhaps fallen angels. The church has also commissioned a three metre high metal angel that is taking pride of place at the entrance gates.

Visitors will be provided with an Angel Trail map showing the location of all the angels in the village and the map will include a voting slip for the most humnorious artistic and original angels.

Organised by the ancient parish church of St James in response to the Bishop of Blackburn, the Rt. Revd. Julian Henderson who challenged every church in the Diocese of Blackburn to “do something that connects the church to the community” there will be a fun zone with trampolines, a tram ride, a slide and bouncy castle, children’s craft activities and an Angel treasure hunt.

The church will also be opening up the historic church registers and there will be guided tours of the church building, which was 500 years old in 2012.

The weekend launches on Friday with coffee on the car park at Altham Primary School followed by a performance in school by the “Open the Book Team” from St James Church. On the Saturday pupils will be playing their part, with a sponsored Angel fun run.

More details are available on Facebook – just search Altham Angels or look at the website – www.althamangels.co.uk