Double helping of festive fun

Date published: 28 November 2014


HEALTH and safety regulations have forced Chadderton’s annual festive celebrations to be split over two days, and the traditional parade has had to be cancelled.

In recent years the lights switch-on and the market have been held on the same day, with a lantern parade between the two.

But Christine Dennis, secretary of organisers the Chadderton Together events committee, said red tape had made it difficult to recruit enough people to marshal the parade. She said: “We have got more rules and regulations now than we have ever had. It’s a shame, but that is the way it is going now.”

Volunteer organisers hope the rearranged events will offer double the fun — and that people will turn out in force to support both the Christmas lights switch-on and market.

First up is the switch-on which will be performed by 100-year-old Chadderton resident Ann Lord at the town hall, Middleton Road, at 6.30pm on Friday.

The Christmas market then runs from noon to 6.30pm on Friday, December 5, in Chadderton Precinct, with community fund-raising stalls selling gifts, clothes, jewellery and food.

Mrs Dennis also fears that there may be no Christmas lights in Chadderton next year unless businesses support the project.

The £7,000 grant for the lights from Chadderton District Executive is down on previous years and she said: “It will just cover putting up the lights this year and storing them. We can’t add to them. The lights are probably one of the things we won’t be able to do in future unless we get the support of local businesses.”