Hunslet poured out into the baking sunshine to enjoy their annual community gala last Saturday (29 June 2019). The gala – now in its 16th year – saw 1,500+ people gather on the Grove Road recreation ground for a packed afternoon of performance, activities, and more.
Dance and music acts included Keldon School of Dance, the Baton Rouge Majorettes, the Hunslet Club Majorettes, Icon Dance, and the South Leeds Community Orchestra. Also featured was the ever-popular Punch and Judy show, circus skills and clowning from the Rapide Brothers, and a showcase performance from the Hunslet Warriors junior rugby league team.
Also this year, for the first time, the festival featured a well-received dog show. And there was the standard array of bustling stalls, fire engines to be climbed upon, slides and rides to be riden, animals to be admired, trampolines and inflatables to be bounced upon, and ice creams to be wolfed down.
Steve Thompson, the festival chair, commented:
“Every year, I say ‘this has been the best gala yet’ – and this year’s was no exception. Of course the weather helped! It was great to introduce the dog show this year, and it was really successful: we will repeat it in 2020, and we do want to keep innovating and add new things. On that note, we’re always looking for new committee members and volunteers to help us run this event: if that’s you, please get in touch!”
For more info on the gala, or to get in touch or involved, click here for their website, or here for their FB page. The organisers wish to thank all the volunteers, and all the sponsors – including Leeds City Council, the Lottery Community Fund, Skelton Skip Hire, The Gold Trader, The Palletman, and Ledgard Consulting Training Services.
Next up for Hunslet is the Hunslet Club Summer Gala this coming Saturday (6 July 2019): full info here, or here on FB.
