Memories of Royal Leamington Spa's post-war lights festival
Memories of a major lights festival that lit up a town for a decade will be brought to life at an exhibition that opens this weekend.The Lights of Leamington Festival was said to rival Blackpool Illuminations between 1951 and 1961.Now a project to capture the memories of people who visited the event in Royal Leamington Spa's Jephson Gardens has been completed.It provides stories of rainbow-lit trees, magical animal installations, spectacular skylines, music, dancing and fireworks in the post-war era.
After securing funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund, Leamington Spa-based events company Whittle Productions held workshops and met with the community to gather personal memories."It has been a privilege to hear such an incredible array of interesting and fascinating recollections about the lights festival and know that by documenting this project it will create a legacy and become part of the town's cultural and heritage narrative," said co-director Carole Sleight.
Switched On Stories – The Exhibition opens at All Saints Parish Church on Priory Terrace, Leamington Spa, on Saturday and runs until Sunday 23 February.
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