I always look forward to the Annual Club Day in Leek and the Biddulph Festival, two very important events for everyone here in Staffordshire Moorlands.
I started the morning with a visit to the Biddulph Churches Together Open Air Café. It was lovely to see the many people who came to support the Café and I enjoyed my tea and cake.
After some litter picking with local Conservatives, it was time for the annual Club Day celebrations in Leek.
It is wonderful to take part in this event – going strong for over 200 years. This year it was the turn of Trinity Church to lead the worship in the Market Place and the procession around the town. Trinity’s minister, Richard Pope, led a colourful and vibrant service on the theme of “Walking the Way”.
The service was very moving and was followed by the procession or the “Walking Around” the town. It was a privilege to walk with the lead church as well as with the Mayor Cllr Sue Coleman and Chairman of the District Council Cllr Keith Flunder. But this was a day for the churches to show their banners as well as their faith and I was delighted to meet one lady from Trinity who came to her first Club Day 84 years ago.
The music from the marching bands was lovely and I am sure that the many tourists and visitors really enjoyed the day too.
I would like to thank everyone who put such effort into organising it all from all the churches and marching bands and to the people of Leek for supporting the event –you did us proud! It was a great day, enjoyed by all and a really fantastic example of local people coming together to give that special sense of community spirit that we have here in the Moorlands.