Hepworth Fest 2023

Hepworth Feast, Monday 26th June

This weekend is Hepworth Feast once again – 

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More info…

This year’s Hepworth Feast is, as always, on the last Monday of June, the 26th. It is preceded by the Eve of Feast music and dance (with Hepworth’s own musicians and singers) in the village hall on Sunday night, 25th from 7.30pm.

Full details are given in the Village Focus magazine which is presently dropping through letterboxes.

2pm at the School for the start of the Feast procession led by Hepworth Band; hymn stops in Hepworth, Scholes School, Scholes Paris, Scholes St Georges Road, Jackson Bridge outside the White Horse, Hepworth Kemps Way and then a march back to the village centre around 4pm (change of time from the village Focus magazine)  to the teas: The public (i.e. anyone who wants to buy a tea) and the band/ stewards’ teas will be served in the Village Hall, not at the School. The children’s’ party bag teas will be handed out of the Village Hall kitchen and can be taken down to School at 4.15pm this year or consumed along Towngate where there will be tables and chairs.

The traditional United Sing will be in the village centre at 6.30pm with Hepworth Band and the Reverend Keith Griffin leading the hymns. Please note that Towngate from the top of Butt lane to the bottom of the lane to the Recreation ground will be closed to traffic between 6pm and 11pm. Also will residents kindly remove their parked cars along Towngate between the Butchers Arms and the old football club from 4pm. Alternative parking arrangements can be made if you contact any of the organisers – see below.

Around 7pm the races and sack races will take place in the Recreation Ground (for children aged between 4 and 12); culminating in the ‘Hepworth Co-op’ Schools’ Relay race between Hepworth, Scholes and Hade Edge schools.

In the village centre from 7.45pm will be clowns, Punch and Judy (at 7.45pm sharp!), sloths on a bike and ‘copper Annie- a musical statute!!’ At 8.30pm for 60 minutes ‘Enoch’s Hammer’ will host a ceilidh (like the good old days!) on Towngate , followed on the stage by Rob, Clive, Chris J and co. The evening ends at 11pm with fireworks.

Food and drink – The Butchers Arms will be open for drinks all day until 11pm  plus a BBQ in the afternoon until 6.30pm. Sean Heap (Butcher) is providing the pig roast from 6.30pm and after the ‘Feast Tea’ the Village Hall will be open for drinks and snacks; the old Hepworth village photos and maps will be on display as always. There will be charity sweet stalls, an ice cream van and a big welcome back to a Hepworth Football Club bar along Towngate – trestle tables and chairs provided.

Help – running the centuries old Hepworth Feast depends totally on volunteers – please contact any of the organisers below if you can help in any way – setting up the village hall and school and recreation ground; helping with teas; setting up the village before and afterwards; stewarding the procession and the road closed barriers etc etc.

Money – it costs around £3,000 to put on the Feast: entertainment, free children’s teas, leavers’ book tokens, prizes, bands, insurance etc. This year there will not be any door to door collections so please give generously and make your donations to:

Or bank payment to: Hepworth Feast School Committee: Santander 09-01-28 a/c 47837107

A cash collection will be taken at the United Sing.

Thank you.

Contacts:

Steve Booth 07762634498, Alan Brook 07591542865,

Heidi O’Shea 07843203785 Stephen Lindley 685586