Alternative Christmas Day update

Thursday, 14 April 2016

After the devastation caused by the Boxing Day floods tearing through the towns of the Upper Calder Valley, it was suggested that it would be worth "re-running" Christmas Day six months later, on 25 June.

This was met with great local enthusiasm and there are now well over 1000 people in the associated Facebook group and there have been interviews on BBC Leeds and the Pulse about it.

The main points are:

• that the towns have a party, because they deserve it
• that we show the outside world we are back up and open for business
• that we invite those volunteers who came to help us in our time of need to join us for Christmas lunch where those who were helped will serve them

Mytholmroyd Gala will be on that day and provide a family oriented hub with a fair ground, stalls for community organisations and a wide range of live music and other cabaret entertainment in its usual site on the school playing fields next to Burnley Road

Calder Holmes Park in Hebden Bridge will host the Fair For Youth aimed at young people. They will have a variety of events, both to participate in as well as to watch, including live music, a hands-on arts and crafts tent as well as a range of sports and other activities.

Holme Street outside the Trades Club and Riverside School will be closed for a street party.

Riverside School will host the previously mentioned Christmas Lunch for approximately 400 volunteers.

St Georges Square in Hebden Bridge will have a very large potted Christmas tree around which there will be a brass band playing and carol singing. This will also be replicated in Mytholmroyd. These trees will then be replanted as a small part of the flood alleviation efforts.

There will be various bits of Christmas themed street theatre roaming around in all locations.

There will be six artificial snow machines in various locations. There will be a Christmas Market at Lees Yard in Hebden Bridge. The Pulse have asked if they can do an outside broadcast as have the local TV. Two separate TV production companies are in contact regarding filming during the day and before.

The business community will be having various offers and promotions to coincide with the day.

We hope that the Rotary Club will be able to use their connections with the owners of the Walkley's Clogs Mill to enable car parking there due to its central location. TBC.

Many local pubs and other businesses will be doing their own thing. For example, the White Swan will be hosting an Aussie-Christmas-themed barbecue.