Tomorrow’s futures shine on the streets

It may have rained....but even that couldn’t damped the spirits of the crowds who lined the streets of Garstang for the biggest event in the town’s summer calendar, Garstang and District Children’s Festival.

Schools and local organisations, accompanied by marching bands and dancers, paraded twice around town, to cheers from hundreds of people who had turned out to watch.

The rain began just as 14-year-old Laura Addison was being crowned festival queen at the Market Cross.

And although the parade went ahead, most of the afternoon events and the evening procession had to be cancelled, along with the fancy dress competition, because of the poor weather.

The football semi-finals and final did go ahead, however in the afternoonrain.

Prizes and rosettes for for tableaux were presented in Thomas’ parish hall by Garstang Mayor Chris Ryan and his consort Robyn Halford.

Spokesman David Lewis said it was the first time in around 30 years that the evening parade had to be cancelled.

He said: “We had to take into account the safety aspect of playing some of the games in the afternoon, and also the fact that we didn’t want small children on the tableaux shivering in the cold and wet for the evening procession.

“Everyone understood about the cancellations, and they did at least manage to play the football and netball competitions.

“The quality of the tableaux was amazing in the parade.

“We had around 18 floats, but some schools which used to enter who had entered one and made it much larger.”