Flags flying high as town hosts festival

Lytham Flag Festival. Pictured is Richard Marshall.

Talented Lytham flag-makers showed off their handiwork for the town's annual festival.

Around 80 flags will be on the display at the town’s Flag Festival, which begins on Saturday.

The banners will represent community groups such as Friend of the Estuary, Fairtrade, the Soroptomists and Fylde Sharks as well as flags designed and made by artists who meet at the Circles of Light art classes at Lytham and St Annes libraries.

And there was a further splash of colour at the launch event last weekend outside Lytham Library, when yarn bombers covered trees and street furniture with their knitting and crocheting.

Lytham Flag Festival. Pictured is Oscar Marshall and Christine McGinn.

The work was provided by groups like the Ansdell 2nd Brownies, local knitting groups and individuals.

Organiser Richard Marshall said: “There has been an amazing response to the festival with local community members contributing knitting and crochet items for the yarn-bombing display.

“Our thanks go to everyone, including pupils from Lytham Hall Park Primary who have been designing bunting for a competition sponsored by Stringers department store, members from Park View Education Team who hosted flag-making workshops and members from Lytham Business Partnership and the local council who have arranged the funding for the festival.”

The flags will fly from brackets along Clifton Street and other shopping areas installed previously to accommodate Christmas trees.

Mr Marshall said: “I am thrilled at the amount of support and interest in the flag festival – there are a lot of creative people out there.

“The aim of the festival is to bring together local schools, community groups, businesses and residents to celebrate all that is great about Lytham and it has been heartening to see businesses and groups working together.”

Richard, the man behind the Lytham Arts Festival, which has proved such a success over the past two summers, has organised the Festival on behalf of the Lytham Business Partnership using funds allocated through Fylde Council’s High Street Innovation Fund and it is hoped it might become an annual event with the potential to grow even bigger in years to come.

Denize Ashton, chairman of the Lytham Business Partnership, said: “We’re always looking for ways to encourage locals into town and attract visitors from near and far.”