Carnival shines

Keighley Holt Failsworth Carnival Queen

THE sun shone brightly on hundreds of revellers as they enjoyed all the fun of the fair at Failsworth Carnival.

The annual event, now in its 50th year, saw visitors flock to Lord Lane playing fields where they saw brass bands and dancing troupes.

Stalls, games, cake stands, candyfloss, face painting and an array of fairground- style rides kept visitors in high spirits.

The highlight of the show came on Saturday as carnival queens past and present paraded through the streets.

Hundreds of spectators lined Lord Lane to see the colourful procession pass by, led by Oldham (Lees) Band.

Local dancing troupes, dressed in a rainbow of colours, were followed by baton twirlers and karate groups performing on the move.

The carnival was originally started by local church groups in 1963, following a 20-year absence, to raise money for the Freedom from Hunger campaign, which was launched by the United Nations in 1960.

The Oldham Evening Chronicle, which has covered the event from the start, wrote how hundreds of spectators lined the route to see the mile-long procession.

The first Carnival Queen was 16-year-old Linda Huttley, who was crowned by former Manchester United star and later Oldham Athletic player Albert Quixall.

Come rain or shine, Failsworth Carnival has continued to be a firm fixture in the summertime calendar thanks to the hard work of dedicated organisers and volunteers throughout the year.

The only year the event did not happen was during the 2002 Commonwealth Games because so many carnival volunteers headed to Manchester to lend a hand.

Organisers brought this year’s event forward from July to avoid clashes with the Jubilee celebrations and the London 2012 Olympics.