Civic Day, a celebration of civic pride, was held around the country on Saturday, 21st June. Blackpool Civic Trust celebrated in style with entertainment, stalls and the presentation of prizes in St John's Church.
Joan Humble, Chairman of Blackpool Civic Trust, said: 'My thanks go to Gordon Marsden MP for opening the event, to the Mayor of Blackpool, Coun. Val Haynes, for presenting prizes to the winners of our scarecrow competition and also the 'Best Kept Street' winner and to all those who came and supported us'.
Opening Blackpool Civic Day. Cutting the tape outside St John's Church entrance from left to right: Andy Mitchell, Carol Tyler (church member), Helen Kaye (Groundwork), Gordon Marsden MP, Big Cat, Joan Humble (Civic Trust Chairman), Eileen Ormand (BID manager), Marjorie Nye (Winter Gardens Trust).
Best Street award won by Bairstow Street in Central Blackpool. From left to right: Andy Mitchell. Mayor Coun. Val Haynes, Nick Osborne (Bairstow St), Joan Humble (Civic Trust Chairman, Barbara Hardy, Coun. Graham Caine.
Prizes for the Scarecrow Festival were awarded at the Civic Day Party on 21st June 2014.
Overall Winner: Kincraig Primary School
Overall winner for best scarcrow presentation from left to right:
Andy Mitchell, Kincraig School pupil, Mayor, Coun. Val Haynes, Joan Humble (Civic Trust Chairman).
The winning scarecrow.
First School Prize: St Bernadette's Catholic School
Second School Prize: Boundary Primary School
Third School Prize: St Kentigerns Catholic School
First Adult Prize: Lancashire Women's Centre, Blackpool
Second Adult Prize: Motor Neurone Disease Assoc., Blackpool
Blackpool Civic Trust Third Scarecrow Festival took place in Salisbury Woodland on 14-15th June.
Civic Trust Chairman, Joan Humble, said: 'The event was very successful with hundreds of visitors enjoying the sight of over 200 scarecrows, buying gifts and cakes from the stalls and, in the case of many of the children, having their faces painted. We held a competition for local schools and the awards for the winning entries will be given out on Saturday 21st June, national Civic Day, at our celebrations to be held in St. John's Church.
I would like to thank the Mayor of Blackpool, Councillor Val Haynes, for officially opening the Festival and especially thank the volunteers who worked so hard over many months creating the wonderful displays. I would also like to thank all the schools who took part in the competition and whose imaginative scarecrows so impressed our judges'.
The event was opened by the Mayor of Blackpool, Councillor Val Haynes.
In the photo: Danny Bradford; Betty Bradford; Elaine Smith; Joan Humble; Mayor Cllr Val Haynes; Mayor's Consort Alan Haynes; Deputy Mayoress Nicola Ryan; Deputy Mayor Chris Ryan.
As part of our Civic Week, we visited the Imperial Hotel (Grade 2 listing) and had a highly instructive guided tour and illustrated presentation.
The General Manager, Alison Gilmore, demonstrating her zeal for all things heritage explained some of the key features of the hotel's distinguished history. We were allowed to have a peek in the basement at what was left of the old Turkish baths when the hotel opened in 1867 as the "Imperial Hydropathic Hotel". Our afternoon was rounded off with a delicious cream tea.
The ceiling of the No. 10 bar:
General Manager, Alison Gilmore, explains the history of the No.10 bar:
This ceiling is listed in its own right: