Celebrating St George’s Day in and around the borough of Rochdale

Feeling patriotic? You won’t be alone, as the Rochdale borough will be celebrating the feast day of England’s patron, Saint George, with a flag raising at the town hall and several parades throughout the region.

The flag of St George will be raised at Rochdale Town Hall on the patron saint's day, Tuesday 23 April.

Everyone is welcome at the town hall for the flag raising at 10am, which will be followed by some readings and a performance by the carers’ choir. A town crier on Yorkshire Street will announce the event.

Inside the town hall, there will be refreshments and a free book stall to mark World Book Night, which takes place on St George’s Day every year.

Parades will be happening across the borough and in Whitworth on Sunday 28 April, due to the Sunday closest to the holiday falling on Easter Sunday (21 April).

Rochdale

The Rochdale parade will begin with a service at St Chad’s Parish Church at 2pm.

The procession will parade along Church Stile, to Broadfield Park, down the path to Manchester Road. It will then walk along the wide pavement until it reforms on The Esplanade at the traffic lights and will march along the Esplanade to the registry office end of the town hall, where it will veer on to the roadway past the town hall to the right of the parked cars.

The salute will be taken by Alan Sharkey, Pennine Scouts District Commissioner, accompanied by the Deputy Mayor and Mayoress, and the Deputy Lord Lieutenant and his wife.

The Parade will go to the Gracie Fields square for the dismissal.

Heywood

The Heywood parade will leave Harwood Park School at 2.30pm, marching to St Luke’s for the church service at 3pm. The route will process along Hornby Street, King Street onto Manchester Street via Mount Street.

Following the service, the party will return to the school via L/Cpl Stephen Shaw MC Way and Hind Hill Street, past the Civic Centre back onto Hornby Street.

All Heywood scouts, cubs, beavers, guides and brownies will be taking part alongside local dignitaries.

Middleton

There will not be a procession prior to the church service at 2.30pm at St Leonard’s Parish Church. The service will finish at 3.15pm ahead of a procession at 3.30pm.

The parade, including representatives of numerous uniformed groups, organisations and churches, and distinguished guests, will assemble in Jubilee Park behind the Library, turning left onto Long Street, right onto Durnford Street.

The route will then continue onto Rectory Street and Wood Street before concluding at Middleton Gardens.

Whitworth

The procession will begin at 2.00pm from Tong Lane and will parade to the Riverside.

Led by ‘St George’, those walking will include the Mayor of Whitworth, Councillor Madeline De Souza, representatives of numerous uniformed groups, organisations and churches, and distinguished guests, all processing to the sound of Stacksteads band.

The procession will conclude at the Riverside (Civic Hall), where the ferocious dragon will be waiting and a Service of Celebration and a community sing-a-long will take place at 2.15pm. Coffee and light refreshments will be served after the service, with the events expected to draw to a close around 3pm.

For all parade-related road closures in the Rochdale borough, visit:

• www.rochdaleonline.co.uk/news-features/2/news-headlines/127321/roadworks-temporary-local-road-closures-restrictions-and-parades