Carnival puts 100 years of memories on show
AHISTORY society held a one-day only exhibition in support of Bacup Carnival, showing 100 years of the celebrations.
The Bacup Natural History Society and Museum, known as the Nat, on Yorkshire Street, displayed historical photos from their archives, and showed a 90-minute film of the 90th anniversary celebrations and Bacup Carnival in 1972.
Visitors could view various photographs of the carnival from 1919 to the present day, as well as a special film covering the carnivals of 1953, 1980, 1981, and 1991.
It comes ahead of this year’s Bacup and Stacksteads Carnival on Sunday, June 30, at Bacup Centre and Moorlands Park, part of this year’s inaugural Rossendale Heritage Festival.
The traditional carnival organised by BASCO -
Bacup and Stacksteads Carnival Organisation - will see a procession from Broadclough Mill at 11am to Stubbylee and Moorlands Park, where events will continue until 4pm.
The Bacup Natural History Society and Museum is working with local primary schools, cub scouts, brownie groups and BASCO to recreate the events of the carnival’s 1919 Peace Parade.
The Peace Parade was a Thanksgiving parade and service in the park to give thanks for the signing of the 1919 peace accord which signalled the official end to WW1 and to remember those who had died during the war.
St James Street, Burnley Road, Market Street and Newchurch Road were all decorated with bunting and flowers and the shop windows were decorated with either flowers or various military or religious models or those that depicted life both during and after the war.
The Nat has asked the school children and children’s groups to make their own models or flowers which they will place in the shop windows two weeks before this year’s Bacup and Stacksteads Carnival.
They will be on display for two weeks before the society will collect them and put them on display in the Nat rooms.
The Nat secretary, Wendy Watters, said: “I have already picked some up and they are fabulous.
“So keep your eyes open when you wander around the town from Monday, June 17, when the models will be placed in the shops.”