6,000 Celebrate Colchester’s Park Life

Saturday 3 September saw more than 6,000 people flock to Colchester’s Castle Park as the sun shone on a free community and cultural event. Organised by the Friends of the park, Celebrating Colchester’s Park Life explored the history of Colchester’s oldest park whilst looking forward to the future of this beautiful green space.

Take a look at the event photos...

Visitors to the event had a fantastic day enjoying the wonderful park on their doorstep. Opened by the Mayor of Colchester, Cllr Terry Sutton, the day was packed with activities, workshops, music and displays for all the family.

Kids loved getting stuck into the interactive workshops on offer, which included kite-making, mini- beast sculpture and parachute-making, while budding archaeologists searched for Roman treasure at a mini-dig. They also had fun whilst learning to help the planet with Recyclobeat, who demonstrated how to make music out of discarded household items.

Young visitors got plenty of exercise on the bouncy castle and playing three-a-side football, whilst the juggling and Diablo workshops brought out the big kid in young and old visitors alike.

Crowds gathered to watch Colchester History Alive, who acted out scenes from the park’s fascinating history, while the guided health walks brought to life the park’s historical significance to the town and highlighted the importance of the park in encouraging healthy and active lifestyles.

A variety of music got toes tapping throughout the day.  The Castle Bailey was packed with visitors dancing and clapping to the beat of Stefan’s African Drum Troop, while Colne Harmony filled the park with ladies’ barbershop harmonies.  The Colchester Accordian Show Band were a real hit, playing everything from Abba to Bohemian Rhapsody, while the Backroom Boys got visitors jiving in the sunshine. The Ben, Ewan and Magnus Folk Band played throughout the day at various spots within the park.

Catherine Jaques of the Friends of Castle Park said: “The day was excellent, great fun and highly successful for all those who took part.  Everybody seemed to enjoy themselves and many people asked if we could do it again next year.  The event has really helped to establish the Friends group and has encouraged more members of the local community to get involved in their park”.

Ian Baalham, Parks and Recreation Officer at Colchester Borough Council, said: “We were proud to host such an important and successful event, which was thoroughly enjoyed by the thousands of people who visited. Our thanks must go to the Friends of Castle Park and park staff who worked so hard to make it possible”.

This event inspired people to discover more about the history of Castle Park and celebrate its significance and importance to everybody. Celebrating Colchester’s Park Life was organised by the Friends of Castle Park and Colchester Borough Council. It was funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund as part of the national Park It! programme which is organised by GreenSpace.