People show their love for Oswestry in special Valentine weekend event
The young people of Oswestry showed their love for the town taking part in a new 'Love Oswestry' Valentine Festival.
Organisers said that despite the wet and windy weather on Saturday everyone enjoyed themselves, and almost all workshops and concerts were fully booked.
The event also included lighting up the historic Iron Age hillfort on the edge of the town.
During the day there were art and music workshops followed by a lantern procession through the streets as dusk approached.
Chairman Graham Mitchell said the Love Oswestry programme involves Oswestry Library, Oswestry Town Museum, Cambrian Railway, Oswestry Borderland Tourism and the Business Improvement District (BID).
"Local cultural organisation Designs in Mind ran lantern making workshops to furnish the finale, a beautiful lantern parade," he said.
"The town crier, Phil Brown, and a group of drummers, including the deputy mayor, Councillor Jay Moore, led the procession from Festival Square around Cae Glas Park Park, to Bailey Head.
"Despite the weather, well over 100 people joined in."
The music programme was put together by Shropshire-based Twisted Agency Ltd. It ended with a free concert in the Hermon Chapel Arts Centre.
"So many people were involved in the day including the Cantiones Choir, the Town Guides, Council Staff, Borderland Rotary. It was a real town effort," Mr Mitchell said.
The event now continues with a series of workshops for young people in the library over half term.
Five local artists will be leading workshops for 12 to 18-year-olds covering painting and illustration, comic making, creative writing, architecture and lino printing. The project is led by Meg Elliot and plans ultimately to produce a ‘zine’ or online magazine that will catalogue young people’s visions for the town. Contact the library for details or to book.
Oswestry BID has organised the Love Oswestry Trail which will be live until the March 5, and offers four prizes of a £75 gift voucher to spend on a meal for two at one of Oswestry’s eateries.
People can download the LoyalFree app and scan the 'Love Heart' at eight venues.
Mr Mitchell added: "This won’t be the last you hear of Love Oswestry and the cultural consortium, there are lots of plans in the pipeline. So, follow their activities here, and on their social media pages."
The idea for the Love Oswestry day and the co-ordination of the programme came from Oswestry’s Cultural Consortium.
The consortium, a group of people involved in the town’s culture and heritage, forms a key part of the High Street Heritage Action Zone, part of a national programme of High Street Heritage Actions Zones which are funded by Historic England.
