June comes to an exciting finale this week, with more excitement spilling over into July. The Rose Queen Carnival parade is this Saturday( 29th June). Many fingers have been crossed successfully and the very latest BBC weather reports(29th June 02.35am) suggest it will be a “mostly dry day with bright or sunny periods, after early patches of mist and low cloud clear. Feeling pleasantly warm” !
Rose queen Annabel and her retinue will be the focus of attention
Whaley Bridge’s weather outlook for Saturday 29 June – Carnival day – is now looking GOOD . Those fingers are staying crossed for the parade, the crowning and the Spitfire flight over Whaley Bridge at about 2.50pm. Rain or shine, the Whaley Art Group’s annual exhibition takes place all day on Saturday in the Uniting Church. Lots of pictures to see and buy.
Welldressing volunteers start the long task to creating beauty
On Sunday, the Welldressing Blessing takes place at the Canal Basin, and into the following week. In the last hours before the Welldressing Blessing, an ‘intruder’ caused one of the volunteers to have to repair her dressing. Rosemary Wignall arrived early at the marquee and got a surprise when a mouse jumped from the dressing she was preparing. Overnight, the mouse had helped itself to the sunflower seeds in the dressing, and trampled down some flower petals used to build up the ‘picture’. None of the women volunteers could bear the thought of buying a mousetrap.
The Rose Queen committee has a number of events in early July: the traditional pet show and two brand new family attractions – a treasure hunt on Friday 5 July and a Family Fun Sports Day on Sunday 7 July.
Full details of these exciting summer days are below:
Sat 29 June – Rose Queen Carnival Day
12.30pm onwards, judging at Canal Basin of queens, floats, decorated vehicles. and fancy dress.
2.00pm onwards, procession starts from Canal Street, along Market Street to Horwich End, back along Old Road, arriving at Whaley Bridge Bowling Club for 3pm. There will be four bands – Whaley Bridge, New Mills, Northenden Pipe Band and Davyhulme Scout Band.
2.50pm (approx.), a Supermarine Spitfire from the RAF Battle of Britain Memorial Flight in Lincolnshire will make a flypast over Whaley Bridge (weather permitting)
3.15pm onwards. Crowds will be entertained with displays by Bill Weston and his famous Billerettes, Davyhulme Scout Band and Northenden Pipe Band.
Bill Weston’s Billerettes make a welcome return to Whaley Bridge
4.15pm, crowning of Rose Queen Annabel Grace Wilde, Princess Amelia Carden-Howe and Rose Petal Harriet Carden-Howe will be performed by the High Peak mayor and mayoress.
Other attractions on the field throughout the afternoon include funfair, face painting, Beat the Goalie, cake stalls, tombola. . Food, drinks and ice cream will be on sale all afternoon and the bar at Whaley Bridge Bowling Club will also be open.
Sun 30 June – Welldressing Blessing
After volunteers have worked all the previous week on the theme of ‘wildllfe’, the Welldressing Blessing will be performed at 2.30pm at the Canal Basin. Whaley Bridge royalty – Queen Annabel Grace and her retinue – will attend.
Whaley Bridge Brass Band will once again be performing an open air concert at the Bowling Club from 3.30pm onwards. Everyone welcome. The Rose Queen committee welcomes visitors from our twin town of Tymbark who will be attending the concert and other events. The bar at Whaley Bridge Bowling Club will be open.
Splash of colour from the exotic Urban Gypsies
Rolling into July – and the fun goes on
Monday 1 July – the Rose Queen committee welcomes everyone to the Bowling Club to watch Chapel morris dancers and guest dancers, from 6.45pm. The bar has a good choice of drinks.
Wednesday 3 July – the annual Pet Show is at the Bowling Club. Booking in from 6pm, with judging starting at 6.30pm. Classes (50p per entry) include most unusual pet, pet the judge would most like to take home and best fancy dress. Entry forms on page 48 of the Rose Queen programme or download from www.rosequeen.co.uk
Friday 5 July – Treasure Hunt (new event) is based at the Bowling Club, from 6pm onwards, with last entry departure time 8pm. It should take just over an hour to complete the challenge with clues based on the history of Whaley Bridge. Enter as a family or a group of friends or even on your own. Collect maps from the secretary’s caravan at the start. Entry is £3 per sheet.
Sunday 7 July – another new event, Family Fun Sports Day at Whaley Bridge football ground (near Taxal and Fernilee Primary School) from 12 midday onwards. Free entry. Whaley Bridge’s first family fun day is organised in conjunction with Village Games Derbyshire, similar to other events in neighbouring villages. Activities will include family decathlon challenge, bean bag games, hula hooping, bunny hops, hockey dribble, sack races and many more. The afternoon will finish with a family tug o’ war. Medals and certificates will be awarded at an Olympic style awards ceremony.
Starting at the end
The Rose Queen Festival actually opened on Friday evening, 21 June, in the Mechanics’ Institute with a slide show by Whaley-born Chris Simpson. He put on two very successful slide shows at last year’s event, Looking Back at Old Whaley Bridge. The most recent show again attracted a good audience, which enjoyed the pictorial journey from the Cat and Fiddle down the Goyt Valley. It took in Errwood Hall, the building of the reservoirs and the powder mill. A fourth slide show, completing the journey to Whaley Bridge, is planned for October.
