Festival fun for all the family

Darnhill Festival 2011

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Families came out in full force for an afternoon of fun in the sun at this year’s Darnhill Festival.

The festival, now in its eighth year, was based on a forest theme, with its inspiration coming from the United Nations Year of Forests.

The afternoon began with a procession which involved children from local schools. The procession was led by Hand Made Samba, followed by the Mayor of Rochdale Councillor Alan Godson and Mayoress Gillian Brown.

The Heywood children wore a variety of vibrant costumes and created flags which celebrated woodlands and the environment.

One particularly special flag was the ‘Save our Forests’ festival flag, created by Millicent Wilde from St Margaret’s Primary School. Millicent was the winner of the festival flag competition. Her design was chosen by the panel and then made into a large flag by the Festival Association.

The procession started and finished at Argyle Parade, where there were a variety of activities, stalls and displays.

Mayor Godson praised the effort put in by the organisers and described the costumes as “magnificent.” He summed up the day when he said: “What a great afternoon.”

Lisa Duffy, Community Investment Manager at Guinness Northern Counties, said: "The Darnhill summer festival never fails to disappoint and it’s great to see so many people of all ages taking part to help make this a fun event for the whole community.”

Kerry Bertram, Cartwheel Arts’ Festival Co-ordinator, said: “[The] Darnhill community enjoyed an enchanting day of 'Forest' fun, woodcraft, workshops, performance and music. Community groups organisations and local businesses worked together to deliver a spectacular event.”