Summer days in south Manchester No 4 the Beech Road Festival

Now it is that time of year and yesterday was the Beech Road Festival, or to give it its new name the Family Fun Day.

And a lot hangs on the change of name for what had started as a small event to raise money for the Rec and draw local people together grew to monster proportions,

The amusement rides grew bigger as did the crowds and for some it became an event to endure.

We always looked forward to it, invited friends down and passed the day in the Rec and later in the back garden listening to the music.

And like our neighbours it was a matter of getting in the food, checking out the assorted deck chairs cool box and car rugs and making sure that there was plenty of change to hand out to the lads who never tired of the rides and the stalls on Beech Road.

But the Festival of 2011 exceeded the rest in the numbers who converged on Beech Road and by common local consent it was time for a break.

And now it is back, as a family fun day, with the accent on small manage able events on the Rec and on the green, no bands but a chance to sit and play with the kids.

What lingers in my mind long after the music, swirly amusements rides  and the debris of discarded litter  was the Brookburn Steel Band performing on a wet drizzly day outside the old box factory along with  Murial's face painting stall, which combined face art with fresh strawberries.

Of course over the years plenty of street traders were drawn to the event.  Some were selling interesting art as well as food while a few I suspect were there just for the main chance.

All that we need is the weather.  And there was a time when it seemed the weather alternated between cold grey days with rain and very hot ones.

Which meant depending on which ever one we had had the year before you bought the sun cream or made sure the wellies jumpers and rain hats were ready.

One in particular still lingers in my memory when after a torrential downpour something like 2011 of our Joshua's friends made for the house and every towel we possessed was pressed into service.

Or the year when the rain just fell like stair rods all day and only a brave hardy few stuck it out under the protection of the trees listening to the bands.




Pictures; of past festivals from the collection of Andrew Simpson