Padiham on Parade is a huge success

A weekend of events to celebrate the end of Armed Forces Week was quite simply one of Padiham's proudest moments.
PadihamOnParade_26/6/16PadihamOnParade_26/6/16
PadihamOnParade_26/6/16

The first ever Padiham on Parade was a roaring success, attracting thousands of visitors to the town for a two day extravanganza to commemorate the end of Armed Forces Week and celebrate the food, fashion and people of the 1940s.

The town was decked out in bunting and many shop and business owners dressed in 1940s style for the occasion. There was a host of military and civilian displays and the town was filled with music from the era.

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The weekend kicked off with a dance hosted by Padiham Football Club with music from the 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s.

On Saturday the town came to life with a variety of military exhibitions and displays of music and dance styles from the 1940s and Cafe Rene was open for business. There was live music from: Maria Manchester, Barsby Belles, Flat Packs, Gaynor Michaels and Lily de Carlos and in the afternoon St Leonard’s Church staged a performance of a love story where a soldier goes off to war and his sweetheart joins the land army.

The church then set up its own own NAAFI canteen.

Cadet forces from the Army, Air, Sea, Police and College took part in a drill competition and Molly Rigby’s held a comnpetition to find the best re-enactor outfit.

On the Saturday evening there was a Ballroom Blitz at Shuttleworth College and on Sunday there was a wreath laying ceremony the cenotaph in Memorial Park led by Lord Shuttleworth, who is the Lord Lieutenant of Lancashire, veterans and the cadets followed by a parade down to the Town Hall for a short service.

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This was followed by live music on the streets and in Memorial Park.

Coun. Ida Carmchael, who is chairman of the Padiham on Parade committee said: “It was a truly fantastic event aht the people of Padiham really got behind. We hope it will be the first of many and next year will be even better.”

See this week’s Burnley Express for more great photos from the event

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