Latest news with #1940sWeekend
BBC News
24-07-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
1940s weekend returns to Pickering after six-year absence
A 1940s weekend will return to a market town that previously hosted a similar event until the Covid Town Community Interest Company (CIC) has revived the former Pickering War Weekend and will organise it alongside modern history museum Eden CIC's volunteers have been given a grant from the mayoral investment fund to restart the themed weekend from 10-12 event has been renamed Pickering 1940s Weekend and has moved away from military displays towards a focus on civilian life and wartime spirit. Before the last incarnation in 2019, it regularly attracted crowds of 30,000 people to the town and was run by the North Yorkshire Moors year, the Pickering Yarn Bombers will decorate the streets with 1940s-themed knitting and there will be a costume exhibition by the Beck Isle Museum and a talk on the Bletchley Park and cafes will also be decorated and there will be live music and dancing from the period. Pickering Town CIC chair Mike Potter said: "The event plays to Pickering's strength as a market town steeped in nostalgia - from the steam trains and museum, right down to the recently renovated shop fronts and street signage that harks back to a more traditional era. "Rather than the front line wartime experience, people can expect a weekend that celebrates civilian life; an event where they can really immerse themselves in a bygone age and get a sense of how people still found joy and resilience in the face of adversity." Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North.
Powys County Times
18-07-2025
- Business
- Powys County Times
Housing plans called 'threat' to Powys community centre
Plans to build dozens of homes on a Welshpool car park have been labelled 'an existential threat' to a community centre in the area. Welshpool Scout leaders Farell McManus and Vince Howells, who run the Clive's Own Welshpool Scout Headquarters & Community Centre (COWSHACC) have criticised plans to build dozens of houses on the Berriew Street car park surrounding the community centre. The duo called the plans, which would reduce the car park from 450 spaces to 56 spaces, an 'existential threat' to the future of the community centre as they believe it would reduce its usage by community groups and hurt the town overall. Mr McManus said: 'For us the plan is an existential threat. It will kill this place off. Without lots of regular users the building cannot survive, and a huge draw for those regular users is the available and accessible parking.' The council has also looked at the concerns, and proposed knocking down Berriew Street Car Park's old toilet block to free up more spaces. At the time of speaking to the County Times, a vaccine clinic was being held at the building, which Mr McManus pointed to as a key example of an event that would move elsewhere if the building lost its parking. Other events that regular use the building include blood donation sessions, meetings of groups like Dementia Matters and Parkinson's UK, as well as community groups and classes. He added: 'A lot of those meetings and operations have a user base who rely on easily accessible parking close to the building, not parking elsewhere and having to walk here. 'We don't want to stop the development of new houses, but we want proper consideration for how best to include them.' They also felt that the loss of hundreds of parking spaces would make large events in the town less viable, saying that many visitors use the Berriew Street car park to access the town centre. Mr Howells said: 'Without those accessible parking spaces, many organisations and groups that use this building would not hold their events here. Then you have several Welshpool events that might not be viable if parking was scarce. Things like the 1940s Weekend, the Cycle tour, the 10k race. They need parking for large scale events. 'There are already enough lost car parking spaces in Welshpool and I think it would be short sighted to take these ones as well. 'The council are there to benefit the community but I think a decision like this is detrimental to the community and to town businesses.
BBC News
24-06-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Lytham's summer festivals 'boost for business', organisers say
The organisers of Lytham's annual 1940s weekend have said it will be a massive boost for businesses in the town off the back of Lancashire's annual Lytham celebration on Lytham Green will be special this year as it marks 80 years since the end of the place on 16 and 17 August, it re-lives the wartime era with a weekend of singing, dancing, weapons displays, historical vehicles and vintage Dixon, tourism and cultural services manager at Fylde Council, said both events were "very, very busy for the town". Stevie Wonder headlining "We know that during the festival week there's a huge amount of people around in the bars and restaurants," he told BBC Radio Lancashire."For the forties event there's an open event on the Green and we very much encourage people to wander round the town, the cafes, the shops and the bars."Legendary singer-songwriter Stevie Wonder has been announced as the headline act for this year's Lytham veteran music star will perform on 3 July, the day after US rock band Kings of Leon open the Timberlake, Alanis Morissette, Simple Minds and Texas will also perform at the event on Lytham Green on 2-6 July. Listen to the best of BBC Radio Lancashire on BBC Sounds and follow BBC Lancashire on Facebook, X and Instagram and watch BBC North West Tonight on BBC iPlayer.
Powys County Times
23-05-2025
- Business
- Powys County Times
Could Welshpool 1940s Weekend carry on after 2025?
The organiser of Welshpool's 1940s Weekend has said that fundraising efforts have taken a 'massive hit' in the build up to this year's event. The annual 1940s Weekend held in Welshpool is going through a tumultuous period, as organiser Alan Crowe has said that the 'depleted' committee behind the event have been put under 'strain' to raise enough money. Mr Crowe said that the committee has had 'no responses' from letters personally addressed to business owners in the town centre asking for sponsorships for the weekend event, which he said costs over £20,000 to stage. The issues prompted concerns at a recent town council meeting that the 2025 version of the 1940s Weekend would be the last, though Mr Crowe added that he would 'sincerely hope it carries on for more years to come'. He said: 'At present the focus is on delivering this year's event. 'We have a depleted committee and are seeking more members or volunteers to assist with fundraisers or on the actual weekend. 'It takes over £20,000 to stage the weekend and with some support from Welshpool Town Council and the occasional small grant we have to raise the monies ourselves, which takes up most of our time which should be used making the show better. 'Local businesses are asked to support the event. Obviously not every business will benefit directly but if it's good for the town then it's good for everyone. 'As one former business person said after last year's event: 'there was more people in the town centre on the Saturday than all of the other Saturdays in the year added together'. 'I sincerely hope that it carries on for more years even if someone else takes over the helm. The town needs events like this to boost the economy but they also need funding and the support of businesses and the wider community.' Mr Crowe added that he is 'constantly' looking for any possible fundraising grants, but as many are aimed at specific social events the Welshpool 1940s Weekend 'sadly doesn't fit the criteria in the majority of cases". He also added that the event regularly turns down offers from outside catering 'so that the local establishments can reap the rewards', but said that the possibility of outside vendors 'might be something that we will need to relook at for the future". He added: 'From the outset of starting the event 10 years ago the focus has been on delivering a top event to give the town centre a much needed boost.' The 2025 Welshpool 1940s Weekend is scheduled to be held from September 26 to September 28.
