LEIGH’S first large-scale carnival in 14 years brought some much needed colour to the town on Sunday. Following the bleak days since the Manchester Arena terror attack and the latest atrocity in London on Saturday that took the death toll to 29, Leigh’s inaugural Carnival of Colour succeeded in lifting residents’ spirits.
More than 15,000 people lined the streets for a parade and enjoyed an afternoon of entertainment and family fun in the town centre. Carnival secretary Cath Quigley said: “With recent events in Manchester, London and the rest of the world it was just a fabulous day for people in our town to get together and take their minds off those things for a few hours.
“We wanted to brighten up the town. That is why we called it the Leigh Carnival of Colour. We wanted to deliver something special for the people of Leigh and I think we did that. People from Leigh poured into the carnival and it was far more successful than I expected. Everybody was smiling and happy throughout the day and my head is still buzzing with the excitement of it all.”
“I have not seen one negative comment about the event on social media, which shows how much everyone enjoyed it. The carnival will definitely be returning next year. So watch out for Leigh Carnival of Colour 2018. There are lots of surprises planned already.”
Wigan Council has pledged another £5,000 for next year’s event.
Donna Hall, chief executive of the council, said: “I am delighted we were able to support the carnival through The Deal and we have already pledged our support to make next year’s event a success.
“Our staff were on hand on the day and had a great time meeting residents. It was such a fantastic idea to bring the whole community together and celebrate the town.”
Visitors were treated to a performance from budding hometown singer-songwriter star Zoe Unsworth, who has already released two singles at the age of 18. There was also live band music and performances from dancers and gymnasts at the town centre car park on Bengal Street, next to Leigh Town Hall and the Turnpike Centre.
Revellers also had the chance to enjoy a parade of large vehicles, a funfair, a climbing wall, face painting, donkey rides, a craft fair, food stalls, a Bom Ta Bom drumming workshop and children’s entertainment, including jugglers, appearances from Disney princesses and a Punch and Judy show. The parade included a tribute to Leigh folk legend Jesse ‘The Cropper’ Graham, with a van carrying a bike on top of its roof surrounded by flowers leading the procession.
Jesse, who died in 1997, was famous for riding a heavy bike around Leigh for decades with signs of light-hearted advice which made him a cult figure in the town. Cath added: “I would like to say a special thanks to carnival sponsor the Rotary Club of Leigh and Wigan Council, which has provided support from the planning stage, including the stewarding of the event.”
Groups on the day included The Bridge community café, Wigan and Leigh College, Scouts, Brownies, Cubs, ABC Gymnastics, St Paul’s Sapphires, Sacred Heart School, Kathleen Atherton’s dance school, True Colours, Leigh Spinners and the Rotary Club of Leigh.
To keep up to date with next year’s Leigh Carnival of Colour visit Leigh Carnival’s Facebook Page