Lamplighter Festival
From Colin C
Monday, 25 November 2013
I think a quick thank you should go to all responsible for the Lamplighter parade in Todmorden on Saturday. Beautiful lanterns, music and fire jugglers made for a genuinely a spectacular event that captured some of the spirit of Winter perfectly.
I know it wasn't really a HB event, but lots of Hebden folk were involved, so worth posting on here!
One small negative. When faced with a packed crowd waiting to see the parade pass by, why do some adults insist on elbowing their way to the front, standing on feet and banging into prams, before deciding on a viewing position directly in front of lots of small children who had been waiting patiently in the cold for some time in order to get a front row seat? And why, when challenged can they see nothing wrong with their behaviour?
From Claire M
Wednesday, 27 November 2013
Myself and a few other families who'd ventured over to Tod for the festival were a little disappointed to be honest. Perhaps there wasn't as much of a take up as the one last year but the parade was so small and finished very quickly we couldn't believe it had finished when it did, hardly any one at all. There were also a number of problems with traffic with the road to Tod park not being closed so a few cars and a bus got stuck .
Also where were all the stalls selling lovely goodies? No mulled wine, no lovely hot snacks, (although there was one teeny tiny caravan tucked away by itself in the back of car park selling coffee) just the regular market traders in Tod, plugs and knickers and the like, no christmas delights, gifts etc (with one exception). I feel that local businesses really missed a golden opportunity. Such a shame
From Ian M
Thursday, 28 November 2013
Claire M, I was in the crowd of thousands that lined the streets of Todmorden that night and I watched transfixed as the parade of fire eaters, belly dancers, samba bands and several hundred lantern bearing children accompanied the breath taking creations of the professionals.
I wandered around the market sampling the offerings from the vegan food stalls. I enjoyed samosas from the curry stall, my wife had a roasted pork sandwich from the hog roast whilst my children ate chocolate pancakes from the stall next door. All this whilst watching the fire display, the glo light display, the high school showing the circus skills they had learnt in just a few weeks, the wandering bands, the amazing jelly fish, I could go on all night
But I was most delighted to see that the regular market stall holders were not pushed out to make room for over priced trinket sellers who would be gone as quick as the tourists.
Well done to everyone involved!