NEWS RELEASES
Horsham plans first English Festival
16 April 2008
A NEW festival celebrating all things English is planned for Saturday 10 May in Horsham Town Centre.
The festival will feature a medieval market with local food and drink and crafts, dance, music, historical exhibitions, children’s entertainments and promotions around the town.
Spurred on by the success of Horsham’s Italian and French festivals, plans are underway to build an annual celebration of all things English around the well established Day of Dance, now in its fantastic 16th year.
Organised by the local Broadwood Morris, the Day of Dance is an invitational event which regularly attracts 10 or more ‘sides’ which display at locations across Horsham Town Centre. The dance teams mostly perform traditional English dances such as Morris (Cotswold, North West and Border), Step Clog and Sword. Also, Scottish and Appalachian dances are regularly featured.
One of the main features of the day is the Carfax Ceilidh (Bandstand Barn dance) which enables members of the public to join in the dancing. The Broadwood Morris have welcomed the staging of an 'English Festival', by Horsham District Council’s Town Centres Management which they say, ‘Will greatly enhance what is already a good day out for both local people and visitors to the town.’
Displays and activities for all the family are being planned with local businesses, Horsham Museum and Town Centres Management all working together. Details are still being finalised but the programme is set to include:
Ye Olde Local Produce Market – Saturday’s market goes all medieval with additional stalls featuring local brewers and cider makers, a hogroast and traditional cockles and whelks. The Carfax stocks may also be brought into use, so beware!
For children of all ages there will be a circus skills workshop and there will be a Kidz Stuff magical experience and balloon making.
“Not many people know that” is the title of a new fun and free to enter trail around Horsham Museum that explores fascinating facts and artefacts that bring the Englishness of Horsham's past to life - you could even win an ‘Old Horsham’ Gift Set. Also in the Museum that that day, there is a chance to meet the man who sculpts for Wedgwood and Steyning Camera Club are running a ‘Digital Surgery’ for those that would like to improve their own picture taking.
Horsham’s most famous (forgotten) son is also celebrated in the Museum exhibition, “Percy Bysshe Shelley, Family and Friends a rare chance to see unique objects relating to our internationally renowned poet.
The town will be supporting the British Heart Foundation on the day.
Topping this all off, there will be many businesses around the town offering free samples of English fayre and a range of promotions and special offers.
Please check the special website for more details as they are confirmed.
Ends.
Issued by Town Centres Management, Horsham District Council
Horsham - Time Well Spent - http://www.visithorsham.co.uk/
Contact: Garry Mortimer-Cook, Town Centres Manager
Horsham - Billingshurst - Henfield - Pulborough - Southwater - Steyning - Storrington
email: tcm@horsham.gov.uk - telephone: 01403 215386 - mobile: 07841 522741 - fax: 01403 215371