Southport
Christmas Toy Parade
From Pleasure Land to The Scout Hut
6th
December 2015
To say this was just a magical
event would be an understatement, although it was magical in every sense of the
word, but it was indeed much, much, more than that!
Having been on a Christmas Parade
a few weeks previously, we knew what we had to do and decorated our car
accordingly, even going as far as to wear some Christmas hats for the occasion.
On arriving at Southport Pleasure
land the sky was bleak, it was cold and damp and not much happening, but that
didn’t stop the excitement one little bit.
After calling at Tesco Express for
sandwiches and a hot chocolate, Graham and I made our way to Pleasure Land to
help out.
Adam, Rob, Jan and Charlie sat in
their van which was more or less filled to the brim with Children’s toys, how
they all got in there still remains a mystery!
The two large red floats – still with
their sides up just looked like Lorries but inside, through a plastic flap, although
dark, already work had begun on them. Graham and I got inside and started to
dress the float with tinsel, baubles and other appropriate decorations.
The two large floats
Our car now decorated for the procession
Graham securing the tree to the float
Soon Erika joined us and laughter
was rife as you would expect! Once we had all the decorations up the red and
white tape was fixed to the two large posts and then the generators arrived.
Erika and Andy conversing between the floats
As Andy and Graham set to work
trying to fire them up – nothing was working and Adam’s stress levels rose
quickly, however, it was only the on/off switch keeping them from an un-working
generator to a working one and boy did they receive a lot of flak over that, but
it was taken in good spirit!
Sue and Kenzie got back in their
car to blow up a number of red balloons, while Graham ventured to the back of
the float to try and secure the Christmas tree to the waggon.
Sue and Kenzie blowing up red balloons
99 Red Balloons - well getting there!
Finally Jan and Charlie after
taking their van back home arrived on their Goldwing Trike and then a lone
female biker arrived by the name of Dee.
Apparently she was having problems with the clutch and although a few
people tried to help they were unable to fix the problem.
Charlie and Jan arriving
Dee
The AA were called but it was all
Dee could do was to hang around and wait, watching everything materialise in front of her for
the parade, after travelling and getting to the starting point knowing she
wouldn't be able to participate must have been agonising for her.
The floats now coming together with festive cheer!
Another small disaster struck when
Andy blew up one of the amplifiers, Adam was stressed, but as luck would have
it, the large American Circus Waggon had music as well as some of the other
trucks, and of course the Ice Cream vans so it wasn’t such a big disaster after
all.
Adam - happy and excited
Open Top Bus
Adam and Erika
A large LFC open top bus arrived
and immediately the colossal amount of toys were transported from the float to
the bus. A trail of people made several journeys, to make sure everything was
on the bus and was an amazing site. Moz, Adam and Kenzie decorated the top of
the bus with red and green balloons ready for the journey.
Toys and more Toys
Decorating the bus with red and green balloons
Next the Blood Bikers arrived (not
as bad as it sounds as these are the guys that transport blood to and from the
hospitals) and not long after that two large red waggons appeared – these were
to transport the two floats that had now been decorated and had people in
various costumes inside them.
Doing a very important job - the Blood Bikers and Bikes!
Waggon's in place
Sides down ready to roll
As this was all going on – I glanced
over at Dee and felt totally helpless. Her face said it all really.
Dee - Her bike causing stress!
Pleasure Land was indeed beginning
to fill up fast with people from all over the place, and one couple arriving
meant that the scene was indeed complete – Steve Barfoot and Dawn Bolton,
followed by the smiling Mick Cook!
The next large waggon to appear was
Chris Shaw’s Christmas Truck complete with Reindeer – it must have caused a
stir driving along the coast road as it was huge! Driven by Chris who
immediately got out and started spraying the tyres with white paint to look
more festive with a big grin on his face.
The Reindeer have arrived
It is all coming together!
Chris spraying the wheels
Hugh, Pugh, Barney McGrew, Cuthbert, Dibble & Grub!
The Fire Brigade arrived and I
went round to snap a pic of the Fire Engine and inside was a less than festive
looking guy who I signalled to ‘smile’ and which he did ‘after a fashion’ and managed
to move his facial muscles into something that resembled a smile and I snapped
the pic giving him the thumbs up!
By this time a few of us needed a
toilet break and made our way over to the ECO Centre – the wind was now cutting
like a knife, but it still did not dampen our enthusiasm.
Off to the Eco Centre for a quick break
Next to arrive was Ron who was
going to go along the route and take videos of the various stages of the
journey, but not before a bit of friendly banter filled the air.
Our Mr Ron Knight who was handy with a video!
Just after Ron came the bright
pink Baby Ballet car, and the Dance Place II Dance Troupe who were doing the
journey on the decorated open top bus.
Followed closely by the Dance
Troupe came the Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Southport complete with their Livery
Collars and their very smart chauffeur who were greeted by Adam with a hand
shake, and then went on to have photos taken with various people at Pleasure land.
The Dance Troupe arriving and Adam making sure
things run on time!
Adam meeting the Mayor and Mayoress - with Chauffeur in tow
Next to arrive were three Ice
Cream Vans from Trivisco – I secretly longed for a 99 with a flake but didn’t
say a word! (Not like me as I have an ice cream fetish!)
Queueing for Ice Cream mmmm
Hordes of Bikes arriving
More bikes arrived and now
Pleasure land was a sea of Lorries, buses, ice cream vans and bikes, plus a lot
of very excited people.
I spotted a Harley Davidson Trike
and was just blown away with the paintwork and chrome. It was indeed an
absolute beast of a bike and although the guy who owned it said I could have a
ride on it, I declined (yes, I declined, even after loving the bikes for years and
never having been on one, took willpower!) I did however get a couple of photos
taken and that sufficed – well - for now!
Awesome Harley Davidson!
Still more and more bikes arrived
and made their way to the back of the long procession of Lorries, all ridden by
various Santa’s in a glorious sea of red, with a couple of Minions and a
Reindeer!
and still more bikes arrived
The Circus waggon's two of them in
all, also took part in the procession and had an amazing horn that nearly blew
your ears inside out – you definitely knew they were arriving!
Big and beautiful Truck with a loud horn!
Finally 12.30pm had arrived, still
no luck for poor Dee who pushed her bike to a far corner and sat and waited for
the AA to turn up.
The atmosphere by now was at its
all-time high, the bleak weather conditions started changing and the sun came
out, it was like as if it knew we were all doing something nice for the kids at
Springbrook Children’s Home.
The procession started and slowly
we all made our way through the large gates at Pleasure Land and down the
Promenade. Clusters of people had gathered to wave to us all in the parade.
Setting off from Pleasure Land
The lone Reindeer on route leaving Pleasure Land
On the Procession Route
Some kids loved it others didn’t
like the noise of the large trucks as they sounded their horns, while others
were mesmerised at the vast stream of bikes and decorated floats. It was such a
magical moment!
Take the tour with us!
The Bike Marshall's did an amazing
job it has to be said, as they weaved in and out of the traffic keeping the
procession moving slowly and surely to its destination and dealt with the
Police who seemed to look upon our procession with disdain.
Although there were a few ignorant
drivers who pushed into the parade, but soon turned off when they realised how
slow we were going.
Spotted one Mr Ron Knight filming the event
As the procession turned around at
The Lakeside Inn Pub a few boxes from the floats had fallen onto the pavement
but retrieved by a few of the bikers, although a few had escaped their
attention and the odd child along the roadside picked them up, needless to say
the boxes were just that empty boxes (so they would have been somewhat
disappointed on opening them) wrapped in Christmas paper for effect under the
Christmas Tree, which in the strong wind had now fallen over despite it being
secured previously.
As we arrived on the opposite side
to Pleasure Land where the procession had taken off, there was Dee leaning over
a wall and capturing the procession on her phone and still no sign of the AA.
Along the way the passers-by waved
and took pictures on their mobiles, but one couple who I was not expecting to
see were Kev and Mel Unwin who looked ecstatic and were drinking in the atmosphere
as the procession passed them, smiling and waving furiously.
Finally the end was in sight for
the large parade and ending at The Scout hut on Pinfold Lane, where the kids
were having their Christmas Party.
At the Scout Hut in Pinfold Lane
Awash with a sea of Bikers and Waggon's
Santa and his Reindeer's have arrived safely
A bus waited patiently for us to
move but nobody came out to remove their cars and so the bus turned around – and
must have realised that this was an event for disadvantaged kids.
As I got up to the Scout Hut I was
shocked and pleasantly surprised at seeing one person who I had not expected to
see, NO NOT Santa Claus, but Dee who in the time of the parade leaving had got
her bike fixed and arrived ahead of us, so she didn’t miss the party after all!
On entering the Scout Hut we were
all offered Chilli or hot dogs, with a cup of hot coffee or tea, which went
down a treat and staved off the cold.
The children were eyeing up the
masses of gifts all spread out on a table inside the Scout Hut – it was such a
wonderful scene.
After stretching our legs and
meeting some of the kids, one little girl called Jodie who was in a
large carriage as she was lying down. I
went over and spoke to her. Her eyes moved quickly as if she was taking in the
atmosphere, although she couldn’t speak. I held her hand and felt a connection
but couldn’t stop myself getting upset, although through mixed emotions, the
main thing was that we had all contributed to making kid’s lives like Jodie's happier.
The procession of people walking
from the open top bus to the scout hut continued for some time until all the
presents were inside – and believe me there was a lot.
After an hour or so we all headed
for the Arion Pub for a quick get together and a chat about the day’s events,
before setting off home.
Graham and Steve
Dee - finally made it!
Steve and Dawn
Graham, Jan, Moz, and Sue having a relaxing drink at the Arion Pub
Everyone was happy, excited and
exhausted, Everyone’s hard work appreciated and well worth every moment,
everything went to plan and even the small disasters righted themselves making
it one amazing day that we shall all never forget, but most importantly neither
will those children!
~~~~~~~~~~
Special thanks to Adam Peter Brown
for organising this tremendous event, (you should be very proud at what you
have achieved!!!) Rob Eduardo-Vincente Taylor, Charlie and Jan Brown, Andy
Brown, Erika Day, Moz, Tracy, Sue Aindow, Kenzie, Denise (Dee) Graham, Sarah Tomo, Mick Cook, Steve
Barfoot, Dawn Bolton, Jackie Meadows and Partner, Lesley Rimmer, Kev Unwin, Meanie Unwin and of course Graham Lee and to
everyone else who contributed to this superb event.
It was an extreme pleasure being a
small part of something so big! Its effects will be talked about for many month’s
even years to come! Here’s to the next one!
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