Hundreds enjoy VE-Day celebration picnic in the park at Haslingden’s Greenfield Memorial Gardens

More than 300 people enjoyed a relaxing VE-Day picnic in the park at Haslingden’s Greenfield Memorial Gardens last Saturday.

Visitors to the gardens, off Manchester Road, enjoyed free entertainment, free face painting, balloon modelling and a magician.

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Dancers Tom Powell and Wendy Cage, from The Old Time Entertainment Company, opened the event by dancing around the memorial to traditional 1940s songs.

Veterans In Communities Choir sang a medley of classic songs and Rossendale Drum Majorettes captivated attendees with upbeat music, flag waving and mace throwing.

Local resident, Beth Crankshaw said: “It is great that they have had so much stuff going on and my son Regan loves magic and really enjoyed it.”

Poppy Holiday had travelled from Darwen when she saw the event mentioned on Facebook and she brought her picnic blanket with her.

She said: “I thought I would get into the spirit. I love a picnic and that is what attracted me. It was based around the 1940s and I am a 1940s singer myself.”

Face painters from Crafty Kat Parties were hugely popular and set up inside Greenfield Gardens Community Centre as the weather was uncertain.

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French teacher Carole Palfreman brought her own picnic blanket and enjoyed a lovely afternoon in the park.

She said: “It is nice that so many people have made the effort to come out and enjoy themselves. It has been something different, has brought people together and given them a chance to see each other in a different context.”

Rossendale Borough Council secured £1.8 million from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and added further money to deliver improvements in Haslingden including new shop fronts and extensive public realm work on Deardengate around the Big Lamp.

The grant also provides for social engagement, and the picnic in the park event brought families together for a lovely afternoon. 

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