The Pageant of Light
Last year’s pageant ‘Peter Pan’ was possibly the most ambitious yet and with the biggest budget. As most people know, this past year has been very difficult for the Woodland Centre and for the ‘Friends of the Valley’ who create the pageant. Redcar and Cleveland Borough Council has had to make huge budget cuts in every department. We have expended a lot of energy in campaigning to keep the centre open and keeping going with our core activities of conservation and maintenance. People have been asking us what is happening about the pageant this year. Normally by now we are well on track with obtaining funding and with our planning. We are reluctant to let our pageant go completely but this year there is no way we can put on a real ‘spectacle’ with a fire sculpture, an image on the train and all the trimmings.
Hopefully next year we may be able to do it in real style once again. Meanwhile...
The Wings of Delight – Your Pageant of Light! Sunday 30th October from 5.30pm
This year the Pageant of Light is YOU! We need the people of Saltburn to make the Procession of Light their own, by creating, making, carrying their own illuminations. They can be torches, glow sticks, lanterns, fairy lights, costumes, wings and decorations on a theme of Bees and Butterflies…
The theme is to highlight the work that has been carried out by the Friends of the Valley who have planted a Butterfly Banquet and Bumble Bee Bistro near the Woodland Centre.
So if you feel inspired or you are wondering what you could do, get yourselves down to the Woodland Centre during half term week - 24th to 29th October (details will be posted outside the Woodland Centre). It will be a hive of activity with ideas for costume, lanterns, and musical instruments for the procession.
Bee there or be a butterfly!
You can contact us by email or through the website: friendsofthevalleysaltburn@gmail.com
http://sites.google.com/site/friendsofthevalley
I've attended the pageant of light every year that it has been on and personally thought that last year was the worst ever pageant. It was over the top and for me it lost some of it's intimacy and charm. Pathways were closed off so that we could watch a select few glide down the woods on a zip line. It was lovely for the children lucky to get the chance to do it, but then after 6 children it was, ok I'm cold now open up the pathway please Id like to go home. So personally I shall be happy to see it return back to basics. True some people will be disappointed as we've been spoilt with some of the pageants, but I think it lost it's way for a time and borderline got tacky. It doesn't need money piling
ReplyDeleteon it to be a fab event and I am looking forward to it! See you there!
hope this year proves that. See you there!
We attended this event last night with the kids. Very nice. The illuminated butterflies were excellent, and the burning butterlies at the end were spectacular.
ReplyDeleteShame we had to cough up £1 each to walk through a public wood. Didn't like the way the council employee took the money, shoved it in his pocket, and didn't give out any tickets, either..