Bring back our festival

12:03pm Thursday 22nd November 2007

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By Andrew Greaves »

Bring back Leyland festival - that's the rallying cry from two young campaigners who want to resurrect the once popular annual summer event.

Heather Berry, 22, and Joanne Davies, 21, have launched the campaign on the social networking internet site, Facebook, and already 800 people have signed up.

Would you like to see the festival back? What are your memories of Leyland Festival?

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The pair who both enjoyed the fun of the festival before it was axed in 2000, are amazed by the response they've received.

Heather said: "We were on the park for the bonfire celebrations and were just discussing how great the festival used to be.

"I used to do gymnastic displays and Joanne used to do some dancing at the festival when we were younger and it is missed.

Heather and Joanne now hope to get the Leyland Festival, which was first launched in 1889, back on the town's calendar as early as 2009.

Historically the festival always takes place in the first week of June. It was first launched in 1889 and ran every year except 1901 and 1902 and four years during the Frirst World War until 1936. It was relaunched in 1951 after a 15 year break and from then took place annually until 2000.

The girls, who both work in the Fox and Lion pub, have already got local landlords to pledge their support and now hope that the town's supermarkets and shops will follow suit.

She said: "We want to get everyone involved and initially we thought we could get it back up and running for next year but that now seems like it will be too soon.

"But if we can get the support from the big businesses then hopefully we can get it back on again in 2009."

They now plan to lobby South Ribble Borough Council and the Leyland Round Table, who have said they will support the return of the festival.

Bevis Mulholland, events co-ordinator at the Leyland Round Table, said: "I think it is a great idea and it is definitely something we would want to get involved in."