Events in Rochdale for 18/07/2009

Organised by Rochdale Borough Blue Badge Tourist Guides.

A guided tour of the magnificent Victorian gothic Town Hall.

The modern stained-glass windows are some of the finest to be found in the country.

Duration: 2 hours.

Bookings through: 01706 924928

All welcome. Sellers -please phone to book a pitch

Our ladies-only sponsored walk commencing from Middleton Arena on the stroke of midnight. Walkers can choose to do the full 13 miles or just 6 miles.

Details available from early April.

Littleborough Rushbearing is a full weekend event, centred around the procession of the Rushcart through the town.

Rushcart procession starts at 10:30am from King Bill , stopping at Caldermoor, Harehill Park, lunchtime, Littleborough Town Square, then up to the Lake, around 3.00pm.

There will also be various attractions in Harehill Park throughout the day, including Vikings, living History & combat displays, Fairground rides and stalls run by local charity organisations.

A get together of walkers, dialect enthusiasts and Edwin Waugh fans for information, chat & poetry at Waugh’s Well.

The week-long programme of free fun events and activities along the length of the Rochdale Canal from Calderdale to Manchester. Organised by Special Projects Partnership & Regeneration Service.
Daily events. Come along and join a week of FREE eco - fun packed activities to celebrate the Rochdale Canal. Activities include  kayaking taster classes, guided walks, bike rides, canoe and angling taster sessions, boat rides, wildlife workshops, art & photographic competitions, fun days and much more. 

Event opening fun day at Ealees, Littleborough on 11th July.

Rushbearing began in the 10th century when Pope Gregory decreed that rushes should be taken to church on its Saints Day to cover the earth floor for warmth. At Grassmere the rushes are still carried in procession. But in Lancashire and parts of Yorkshire the procession became more elaborate with the rushes being conveyed on decorated carts. The tradition continued in many areas until Victorian times when it was banned for encouraging ‘drunkenness and lewd behaviour’.

Littleborough Rushbearing was revived in 1991 when someone in Rochdale Morris said ‘Wouldn’t it be a good idea to have a Rushcart to celebrate our 10th anniversary?’ The project was successfully achieved with the help of Littleborough Action Group and has become an important part of Littleborough’s calendar of events.

The Littleborough Rushcart is paraded through various parts of the town with dance stops at pubs and finally enters the Square led by a local brass band and escorted by local dignitaries.

In 2008 the Festival was extended and began on Friday night with a singaround at a local pub. Saturday also included a ‘Party in the Park’ – a family fun-day with stalls and entertainment. Saturday evening’s celidh completed a busy day. Sunday’s procession takes in Hollingworth Lake Visitor’s Centre and a nearby pub, before entering the town centre for more dancing (including the ‘traditional’ dance by Littleborough’s finest).

Our summer exhibition is the Canals of the Pennines, during July and August we will have an ever changing exhibiton of work by a number of popular artisits, including Geoff Butterworth, David Ainsworth and Judith Herring - plus some new artists. The preview will be on Saturday 4th July from 2-4pm.