PRIOR to Colne’s biggest event in recent years on 2nd August, the Town Council has launched a search for children who will be mascots on the day. 2nd August is the date for Colne Commemorates 1914 and the mascots are needed for the recreation of the period photographic studio.
Events Committee Chair, Cllr. Dorothy Lord said: “Photography was in its infancy, but extraordinarily popular. Most men going off to war had their portraits taken and we’ve discovered that many chose to include a lucky mascot in the form a child in uniform. So we have time to costume our mascots up, we are looking for our mascots now. Ideally, our mascots will be aged between six and eight.”
The Town Council’s Events Committee isn’t just looking for mascots, it is looking for volunteers of all ages to help with the Commemoration Event, which is taking over the entire town. “We need “recruits”, marshals for our parade, guides and interpreters and, of course, anyone who has a story to tell about their family, or some memorabilia we can borrow or copy”, explained Cllr Lord.
Amateur dramatics groups plan to flood the town with century old memories at indoor and outdoor venues all over Colne throughout the day. The day formally begins with a veterans’ and cadets’ parade, which will form up at The British Legion at 9.45 a.m. and march with the Accrington Pipe Band to Colne’s War Memorial where a short service will be held.
In addition, The Little Theatre will be taken over all day as a venue for short talks and films about The Great War, whilst The Hippodrome will be requisitioned as a trench experience and medical clearing station. The Town Council is even recreating its canteen for those left behind with the original menu in a marquee outside the Market.
Cllr. Lord concluded: “We are thrilled with some of the ideas we have planned for 2nd August, but we aren’t going to reveal them all just yet. We want Colne to mark a century since the outbreak of WW1 in truly unique style. Everyone should put this date in their diaries now, as we want the whole town to come together, just as it did a century ago.”
