Proms and Brassed Off bring park festival to a close

A festival celebrating the centenary of a Halifax public park will culminate this weekend with a lakeside proms performance and an outdoor showing of hit film Brassed Off.

Stage at the Lake, which got under way on Thursday, has featured music and comedy marking 100 years since Shibden Park was opened by the Prince of Wales, who became King Edward VIII.

Proms at the Lake will feature the English Chamber Orchestra and Halifax Choral Society, as well as Northern Ballet's Gentleman Jack, telling the story of former Shibden Hall resident Anne Lister.

On Sunday, the Grimethorpe Colliery Band will perform the score for a showing of Brassed Off, marking 30 years since it was filmed at The Piece Hall.

Members of the film's cast and crew are also due to appear, including director Mark Herman, and stars Sue Johnston, Stephen Tompkinson, Tara Fitzgerald and Peter Gunn.

Bobsie Robinson, from Calderdale Council, said: "The park is loved by everyone, and so for us in the council it was about how we can celebrate the park and bring people together."

Although the park has been open to the public for 100 years, Shibden Hall's history dates back to 1420.

It was owned by cloth merchant William Otes, but throughout the next two centuries the hall passed to various wealthy families.

They included Lister, who owned the hall in 1836. Described as "the first modern lesbian", Lister was the subject of BBC drama Gentleman Jack.

In 1923, Arthur McCrea acquired the estate and donated it to Halifax Corporation.

Three years later the estate was officially opened to the public.

Halifax band Grow, who took to the stage on Friday, said it felt special to perform in their home town.

Lead singer Jack Wilson and guitarist Luke Bradley grew up spending time in Shibden Park.

Speaking ahead of the performance, Bradley said: "I haven't been here for like 10 years.

"It's where you come as a kid and where you grow up. So, it's nice to come back and give people something to remember as well."

Wilson added: "As I was walking in, I felt the same.

"I saw the train which goes around and as a kid I absolutely loved it, it was my favourite thing in the world."

Wilson said the festival "showcases a bit of everything, from all of Calderdale, all these great venues, all these great artists".

"I think they've done a really good job of getting a collective mix of people and ages and talent."

Closer to Shibden Hall, the celebration also features a gardening festival, championing community, creativity and the power of nature.

Seeds of Hope is a commissioned trail of 10 micro-gardens designed and built by communities across Calderdale.

One of the show gardens, titled You Can Grow Anywhere, was constructed by Incredible Edible Todmorden, who plant free food in public spaces for people to share.

Chris Bax and Adrian Thompson are among the gardeners who worked on the project.

Bax said the team hoped to get people interested in growing food.

"We want to encourage people that even if they don't have a garden, they can grow in any container they can find," he said.

The centrepiece of the garden is a planter in the shape of a model spaceship - which Bax suggested marked Todmorden's claim as "the centre for UFO sightings for the whole of the UK".

He said it was a "necessity" that people had access to green spaces such as Shibden Park.

"Being able to sort of spend time in nature is so important and it's healing and good for you."

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