Sunday saw the Suffrage Family Picnic in Arnot Hill Park, our local Park. This is part of a number of events this year planned, supported and underwritten by Gedling Borough Council. I am part of the Centenary planning group led by Councillor Roxanne Ellis (Equalities Policy Adviser) and my role was to organise yarn bombing the Park. The Fabulous Yarnarchists worked hard to produce green, white, violet and some red items and we descended on the Park to cover it in Suffragette and Suffrage loveliness! With excellent weather this free event was greatly enjoyed by many local families.
The day started with a number of us dressed as Suffragettes and Roxanne delivered a rousing original speach from a soapbox in the Arnold Market Square.
We even had a heckler who we saw off with a rousing shout of “Votes for Women!” Then a march to the Park joined by our local MP Vernon Coaker and communal singing of suffragette songs.
As families unpacked their picnics the entertainments included a pop-up theatre production of an original suffrage themed play put on by our local amateur dramatics group, The Prospect Players. We had a craft tent run by Gedling Play Forum, Edwardian games, and an Edwardian entertainer wandering around the park with unicycle and juggling tricks. Finally we enjoyed an open air showing of the original Mary Poppins. (Not forgetting that Mrs Banks aas a Suffragette!) As they might have said in 1918 “It was, in all, absolutely splendid!”
So sit back and enjoy the photos!
