Glossop Carnival is called off again

Glossop Carnival has become the latest casualty of Covid-19.

Glossop Arts and Leisure Association - which organises the two day festival - has been told to cancel the event by High Peak Borough Council.

This is despite Glossop’s biggest annual  event - which was also called off last year - still four months away.

GALA’s Ann Flavell, said: “Unfortunately Staffordshire Moorlands and HPBC will not allow us to hold our carnival again this year, they have no plans to incorporate any social distancing or other safety protocols at the moment so Manor Park is off limits to any kind of social gatherings other than family bubbles etc. 

“We are not downhearted though, we are in the process of contacting all our faithful stall holders, charities and exhibition groups, as well as all the entertainers we had organised for 2021 and inviting them to join us next year instead.”

The decision by the council to pull the plug on the carnival is a body blow, not only to GALA, but to the people of Glossopdale who had been looking forward to the event.

The Government had recently announced that the lockdown nationally would end on June 21 - more than a fortnight before the scheduled July festival - so local people thought it would be safe.

The carnival always features bands, side shows, stalls, displays, live entertainment, a dog show, food franchises and a full-scale fun fair.

Favourite

The fair was a particular favourite for families and was a reminder of the days many years ago when travelling fun fairs visited Glossop every May and September and ‘pitched’  on the Municipal Buildings car park.

Sadly the century-old tradition came to a close when it was decided that heavy fair vehicles were a risk to underground channels.

GALA added: “Please bear with us, we have been organising a fun weekend for many years now and we are working hard to ensure that the good folks of Glossopdale will have something to entertain and put smiles on faces in July 2022.”

A spokesperson for High Peak Borough Council said: “In autumn last year, at the height of the pandemic and the social restrictions, the council took a decision to ban all events taking place on council land and this remains in place currently. 

“Following the Government’s advice, guidance and laws which detail how the country could recover out of the lockdown, we will review this position at the appropriate time.

“At the moment, we can receive applications for events which will be provisionally booked in to the diary,” they added.

“There is, however, no guarantee that the events will be permitted until there is clear advice and guidance from Government that such events or activities can be restarted, and that the council, alongside other key partners including the police or public health, is satisfied that an event can be run safely.”

Main image:

FLASHBACK: The fun of Glossop Carnival back in 2019. 

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