By Andy Hirst
One of Huddersfield’s best-loved days out is back on this weekend.
Golcar Lily Day will be held on Saturday (May 14) – the first since 2019 – with a procession, music and lots of other events staged throughout the village.
It kicks off with a parade led by Slaithwaite Band from Golcar Conservative Club up to Town End in the centre of Golcar at 1.30pm.
There will be music, dancing, entertainers including a juggler and a magician, military re-enactments and food.
A Lancaster bomber is due to fly over Golcar between 2.40pm and 3.25pm to mark 79 years since the famous Dambusters raid of 1943 when the RAF’s 617 Squadron attacked German dams using ‘bouncing bombs’ on the night of May 16 and 17.
The raid breached two German dams, destroying hydroelectric power stations, factories and mines, badly damaging the German war effort.
The Golcar Lily Day theme is the Jubilee celebration so the village is decorated in bunting, pom poms and knitting wrapped around trees.
The event’s hub is Town End and Jubilee Square where there will be maypole dancing at 11am, belly dancing at 2pm and also Morris dancers. Also playing there will be Huddersfield Wind Band (11am), Golcar Band (12.15pm), Slaithwaite Band (2pm) and Halifax Concert Band (3.15pm).
More music will be staged at the village’s churches. St Johns Church will host Oakenshaw Choir (11am), folky pop band Fishing For Compliments (12.30pm) and Sundown Swing (2.30pm).
Providence Methodist Church will feature the True Talent Drama Group (11.15am), Huddersfield and Ripponden Band (1.45pm) and Honley Ladies Choir (3.30pm).
Golcar United is running its Party on the Pitch event from noon to 10pm on Saturday and from noon to 9pm on Sunday featuring loads of tribute acts. Read more about that HERE.
The ever-popular Colne Valley museum will be staging traditional craft demonstrations and baking special Golcar Lily loaves.
There is disabled parking at the scout and community centre which will host a beer tent and gin bar along with face-painting and youngsters can have a go at making crafts.
Re-enactment groups will be in action on the Manor Road playing field where there will also be bungee trampolines, a bouncing dome and slide along with a coconut shy.
There is no parking in the village so people are urged to park at the Pennine Manor hotel at Scapegoat Hill and then catch a free bus down to Golcar. The bus runs regularly from Scape to Golcar all day.
Organiser Sue Starr said: “I think we are holding the first Jubilee street party as there will be tables and chairs placed along the centre of the village so people can watch all the entertainment in style.
“The village is beautifully decorated by our local knitters and fantastically cared for by our environment group. I can’t thank them enough for all their work.”
* Written by former Huddersfield Examiner Head of Content ANDY HIRST who runs his own Yorkshire freelance journalism agency AH! PR (https://ah-pr.com/) specialising in press releases, blogging and copywriting.
