After the warm, sunny weather Blantyre had at the Gala Day back in June, could it REALLY be another beautifully warm day for High Blantyre’s Gala Day! A resounding YES, it absolutely was! The sun came out, and people headed out to Kirkton Park in T Shirts and shorts and from midday onwards, Kirkton Park was filled with crowds of people in large numbers.
Main Street parking was filled to capacity and local businesses did a roaring trade as families headed to the park and back. The sun stayed out all afternoon, warm and pleasant, the perfect conditions for a very well run gala day. The event was free to enter, and Blantyre Telegraph went along, taking time to speak to many of the stall holders and entertainers. Permissions were sought for all of our featured photographs.
A huge congratulations to Hyper Cyber cafe in High Blantyre’s Main Street who were the organisers, building upon the feedback of previous years. It was without doubt their most successful event and very well managed, with plenty of eager volunteers helping out at almost every part of the park. The council had prepared the park nicely cutting the grass beforehand and coning off sections of the Main Road to prevent congestion. The nearby baptist church opened its doors, and held bric and brac stalls as well as providing home baking and toilet facilities.
The park itself was very, very busy. As usual, the hamburger and ice cream stalls and vans did a roaring trade. Families queued at the many inflatables and children’s fun rides. Their little faces lit up and screaming with sheer delight and laughter. Live music was provided by local bands, singers and the Hyper Cyber guitar group. Popular Music played out when the events were taking a break. Children’s entertainment included a rodeo bull, inflatable slides, a mini skatepark as well as several stalls aimed directly at children. For adults, there were a couple of dozen market stalls, each covered with canopies, protection from the sun, in this case. Stalls included home baking, sweets , temporary tattoos, bric a brac, charity and council related stalls, as well as hot food and funfair type stalls like “hoop the duck”. Margo Berry won the raffle prize.
The successful event went on until 4pm, and feedback from people suggested it was a brilliant day.
Trisha Morgan told Blantyre Telegraph, “These gala days have returned community spirit to Blantyre. They seem to get better ever year. High Blantyre is absolutely jumping!” Stanley Thompson added, “What a surprise to see the park so busy. Its a day for the children. Next year, a beer tent please!” Finally, Emma Scott, told us, “Brilliant music, loved the singers. Pure magic!”
Photos by Blantyre Telegraph.
