Sun cracks a smile for Norden Carnival

St Martin's Band playing the music at Norden Carnival

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After torrential rain during the week there were fears that Norden Carnival would be a wash-out. Those fears were allayed as the school children and community groups gathered outside Caldershaw and St Vincent’s Primary Schools and the clouds broke and the sun shone as the parade walked up Edenfield Road.

Based on the theme ‘All Creatures Great and Small’, school children from Norden Community School, Caldershaw and Whittaker Moss all came dressed up for the parade on Saturday 16 June, as various animals and insects. Meanwhile the animals came in two by two for St Paul’s Church, with their Noah’s Ark theme.

As at Milnrow Carnival last weekend, the parade was led by the Mayor and Mayoress of Rochdale, Councillor Peter Evans and his wife Helen, alongside MP for Heywood and Middleton Jim Dobbin, and they led the parade from Caldershaw School, up Edenfield Road to the bus terminus and then on to Norden School.

Musical entertainment during the parade was provided by the pop songs played by Roch Valley Radio, the swinging sounds of the Norden Samba Band, the songs of Frank Sinatra, provided by Jonathan Swift on the Broadfield Hotel float, and St Martin’s Band provided some traditional band music.

A total of 17 groups joined in the fun of the carnival. Hopwood Hall College led the way with their ‘balloon parachute’ and they were followed by two local brownie groups, and their children took the theme to heart by dressing as creatures as great as a lion and as small as a fly. The army vehicles have become a traditional feature at Norden Carnival and they were out in force again this year. The Norden Twirlers are also regular carnival-goers and they enjoyed twirling their way up Edenfield Road.

Cutgate Baptist Church brought up the rear of the parade with their Noah’s Ark float, which appeared to be driven by two of the puppets that play a big role in their Church Community.

More great and small creatures joined the fun at the bus turnaround in Norden, where the parade picked up children from Norden Playgroup, St Paul’s Ladybirds and Whittaker Moss Nursery.

The carnival ended at Norden School, where there was a fairground with rides and a bouncy castle, as well as a craft fair, tombola and a penalty shoot-out competition.