Author: whitfestival

Selection Spectacular

Posted on by whitfestival

A huge 103round of applause for Alex Johnson rounded off a glittering afternoon’s entertainment on a village hall stage transformed by creative use of voile & lighting and featuring talented young performers in an impressive variety of roles.

We were delighted to welcome the Mayor & Mayoress of the City of Preston, Councillor John Collins & Mrs Mary Dade, to witness the selection of Festival Queen Elect Miss Niamh Quigg and enjoy our legendary Goosnargh hospitality. Tom Ibison, Festival Honorary President reported that they had thoroughly enjoyed themselves!

Alex himself paid tribute to his fellow Musical Theatre Students at Preston’s College, Head Anne Markland and Tutor Michael Cosgrove, and to the Staff & Pupils of Goosnargh Oliverson’s and St Francis’ Catholic Primary Schools for endless hours of rehearsals which well and truly paid off on the day.

The College performers sang, danced and acted with impressive conviction and a terrific sense of performance and our Primary Schools offered a fantastic array of instrumental music & song with over 50 youngsters taking part – all a real credit to their teachers.

A very special feature of this year’s event, certainly a first for Goosnargh, was a skilful and beautifully choreographed Aerial Hoop routine created for us by Hannah & Grace Chadwick.

This year’s Festival, set to take place on Saturday, June 3rd, is dedicated to the late Tom Kirby who did so much to support the Festival both through his role at Barton Grange and through his membership of Longridge & North Preston Rotary. We were very pleased to welcome Tom’s daughter Helen Roberts and Guy Topping from Barton Grange as we launched the 2017 Festival Year. Guy is to present a new award, The Tom Kirby Rosebowl, to the Festival Queen on Festival Day.

Helen and Alan Roberts will judge the Fancy Dress section230 of the Festival and Guy and Carol Topping the Decorated Floats before Guy also presents a brand new Barton Grange Float Trophy.

Thank you to all who supported Alex so well. We were exceptionally well supplied with delicious cakes & scones, raffle prizes, helpers and, most importantly, a very appreciative audience to encourage our young stars of the future.

More photos here.

Happy New Year!

Posted on by whitfestival

Festival 2017 breaking News!

Sunday January 29th is the date to remember if you or someone you know would like to be Festival Queen 2017.

We are delighted to be working with students from Preston’s College once more for our Selection Day event; an extravaganza of song & dance featuring our own talented Primary School pupils as well as the College’s aspiring Musical Theatre Performers.

Candidates to be Queen should arrive at the Village Hall to register before the concert, between 1.00 and 2.00pm. Registration is open to High School Pupils resident in the Parishes of Goosnargh and Whittingham and please note that these Parishes cover a huge area including Whitechapel and Bleasdale, check out the maps on the Festival Queen page. Please note that a Parent or Guardian must accompany each candidate. Festival Queen 2016 Roisin Quigg will select her successor during the interval of the concert.

We would like to invite the Community to come along on Sunday 29th January at 2.30pm to enjoy a fabulous showcase of local talent and to celebrate the selection of our new Festival Queen in the presence of the Mayor and Mayoress of the City of Preston.

This year’s Festival is to have a very special focus. On behalf of Barton Grange, Guy Topping is to present a new award, The Tom Kirby Award, to be held by the Festival Queen during the year of her reign. This is to acknowledge the very special part played by Tom in supporting the Festival and the high esteem in which he was held at Barton Grange. In addition Guy will renew the Decorated Float Trophy which Tom presented on behalf of Barton Grange many years ago. We look forward to welcoming Helen Roberts, Tom’s daughter, along with her husband and as many family members as possible to share this Festival Day with us.

The theme for the Festival is: FLOWER POWER!

Festival Day is Saturday 3rd June

December Update

Posted on by whitfestival

Huge thanks Festival Queen Roisin together with friends and  Senior Attendants Eve Mellor, Ella Shipley and Daisy Barnett for working  furiously running the Children’s Gift Room at Oliverson’s Christmas Fair last week. Roisin is looking forward to continuing her duties at St Mary’s Carol Service. She and the members of the Festival Committee would like to wish everyone a wonderful Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

“Showtime” Announcement

Please put the date Sunday 29th January 2017 in your diaries now and  come along to the Village Hall at 2.30pm for a second “Showtime” event.

The very talented Performing Arts Students of Preston’s College will be showcasing their work once more and we will be welcoming our own talented young pupils to join them.

The event will launch the Festival Year and during the interval Festival Queen Roisin will announce her successor, to be crowned on Festival Day 2017, Saturday, June 3rd.

Registration of High School pupils resident in the Parishes of Goosnargh & Whittingham will be from 2pm to 2.30pm. Please attend with a parent/guardian if you wish to put forward your name.

We are delighted that the Mayor and Mayoress of Preston will be joining us.

Spooktacular Triumph for Alex

Posted on by whitfestival

Young families from the village flocked to Alex Johnson’s Hallowe’en Disco Party with even the smallest babies in a fabulous array of spectacular costumes.

Children were treated to an entrance corridor hung with shredded fabrics & lit by ghostly images. The Village Hall Foyer was transformed into a Witches’ Lair with lighted cauldron & an invitation to “Enter if you Dare”. They loved it!

Once inside the Hall the theme, entirely designed by Alex continued & was enhanced by Colin Gornall’s wonderful array of lighting effects.

As promised, Hallowe’en Hot Dogs, Spooky Squash & Creepy Cakes went down a treat and we thank Harry and Caroline Landless, Louise, Hannah & Grace Chadwick and Lyn Johnson for their generous input as well as all those who baked & donated prizes for the raffle.

Judging of the Fancy Dress was literally a nightmare – even with 9 fabulous prizes to award. They ALL deserved prizes! Thank you Andy Thiele and Festival Queen Roisin for judging. Of course Alex had provided a host of spot prizes and there is no doubt everyone left the party full of praise for his efforts.

As many will know, Alex is our youngest Festival Committee Member at just 18 yrs – the future is in exciting hands and we picked up messages that there are more young people keen to come on board.

May we invite them to come along to the Festival AGM in The Grapes Inn, 7.30pm on Tuesday 15th November.

Thank You Goosnargh!

Posted on by whitfestival 

Masses of support and our best array ever of fabulous goods to buy made 
Saturday's Festival Fund Raiser a record breaker. We raised in excess of 
£1300!

Thanks go to the whole community for putting us well on track to fund 
next year's Festival.

Next event: Alex Johnson's "Spooktacular Family Fancy Dress Party" 
Friday 28th October, 5.30pm in Goosnargh Village Hall.

Seasonal fun & games, Hot Dogs, Raffle - please bring your own beer, 
wine etc.
Donations of prizes for the Raffle & small cakes most welcome!

Festival Queen 2017 Selection Day Announcement

The very talented Musical Theatre Students from Preston's College will 
be with us once more for our "Concert for a Queen". During the interval, 
Festival Queen 2016 Roisin will select her successor, so please make a note 
of this very important date in your diaries.

Selection Day Concert

Sunday Afternoon 29th January 2017

Spooktacular Fancy Dress Party

Posted on by whitfestival

Put on your scariest outfits and come along to Goosnargh Village Hall at 5.30pm on Friday 28th October to enjoy our Festival Spooktacular Fancy Dress party.

As always, Alex Johnson has lots of prizes and surprises in store and the Village Hall will be transformed!

There will be scrumptious Hot Dogs, spooky squash and creepy coffee. Admission is just £2.50 for Adults, £1.50 for Children.

The Village Hall no longer has a bar but you are welcome to bring along your own beer, wine etc.

Judging of the fancy dress will be around 6pm followed by games & Disco until 8pm.

Donations of prizes for the Raffle will be most welcome.

Whitsuntide Festival Celebration Ball

Posted on by whitfestival

Supporters and friends of the Festival gathered in force at Wyrebank on Saturday 24th September to enjoy the second Annual Festival Ball.

The theme for the evening was “Celebration”, in honour of Her Majesty the Queen who celebrated her 90th birthday this year and, on a local level, our four Special Guests who were welcomed and toasted in style by our wonderful MC, Harry Landless following an Introduction by Festival Chairman David Butters.

SPECIAL GUESTS
Dedicated festival supporters, Be Thiele and Louise Chadwick had both chosen to celebrate their birthdays with us and Newlyweds Tim and Sophie Butters were attending their first event as husband and wife, having returned from their honeymoon on Capri just the day before. Tim designed and manages the Festival Website and Sophie was an Official Photographer on Festival Day.

ABSENT FRIENDS
Harry also raised a toast to “Absent Friends”, thinking in particular of Reg Johnson to whose memory all this year’s Festival Events are dedicated and welcoming members of his family, as always giving their support to a Community event. Wyrebank reflected the Celebration theme, being bedecked with huge cerise and silver pom poms. Tables continued the theme in cerise and green with “candy cane” favours and the atmosphere of friendliness provided by the guests, ranging in age from 18 to 93, made for a superb evening.

The Wyrebank Chef ensured all guests were more than happy with his “Roast Beef & Yorkshire Pud” based Menu and we thank the wonderful Wyrebank staff, who attended immediately to all requests (for refills mostly!)

Entertainment began with a very moving sequence of songs performed by Grace Chadwick and then DJ Rob Harris presided over a vibrant dance floor. The focus was more on “Fun” than “Fund Raising”, but of course we were there for a purpose. All profits from the Ball are dedicated to renewing the Festival’s stock of outdoor seating, purchased well over 20 years ago from the former Whittingham Hospital, and now sadly rusting.

During the course of the evening Auction items, very kindly donated by George Banks, Jewellers; Haighton Manor; The Chadwick and Landless families and Wyrebank were skilfully despatched by Harry and Caroline Landless and the Auction, together with profit from ticket sales and the Raffle etc raised a fabulous total of £1841!

Huge thanks to everyone who supported this event whether as Guests, Prize Donors, behind the scenes helpers or Wyrebank Team Members; the Community of Goosnargh & Whittingham can now look forward to a more comfortable Festival Day 2017 which, by the way, takes place on Saturday 3rd June 2017.

Event Update

Posted on by whitfestival

Three major Festival events are fast approaching!

The Celebration Ball takes place at Wyrebank, Garstang on 24th September and we thank everyone who has bought a ticket, donated a prize etc. for helping us towards our aim to renew the seating used on Cumeragh Village Green.

Autumn Jumble Sale
If you are having an Autumn clear-out please save your good quality and Good-As-New items for our Jumble Sale on Saturday 15th October 11am in Goosnargh Village Hall PR3 2BH.

Hallowe’en
A final Autumn date for your diaries is the Spooktacular Hallowe’en Event on Friday 28th October masterminded by Alex Johnson.