Apr 2, 2023
King Charles’ coronation will be celebrated with more than 40 free public attractions in Brixham – including musical events across the bank holiday weekend.
“It’s an opportunity for everyone to celebrate the best in our country. The main arena of the five days of celebrations will be Brixham Town Square directly behind the town’s main bus station,” said John Brennan, chair of celebration organisers Brixham Future Community Interest Company (CIC).
“There will be different events, displays and activities including music, concerts, films, dancing, sing-a-longs, parades, a church service, library and museum displays, quizzes and socials.
“What can be a better way to celebrate in Brixham the coronation of King Charles III than a musical extravagance?”
To deliver the celebrations, Brixham Future has teamed up with Brixham Museum, Brixham Library, the Royal British Legion, the Royal Naval Association, South Devon Players, Riviera Singers, Quay Harmony, Brixham Chamber of Commerce, Middle Street Traders, Christians Together in Brixham, Brixham Rotary Club, Brixham Probus Club, Brixham Yacht Club, plus Baptist and Methodist Churches and numerous other groups.
Local businesses will join in with window displays, shops and cafe special offers. It is hoped that individual streets will organise their own local street parties to create ‘a memorable, historic occasion for everyone to enjoy’.
King Charles III’s coronation will be on Saturday, May 6, and will be shown live in the Brixham Theatre cinema between 10.30am and 2pm.
The Brixham Community Parade will take place on bank holiday, Monday, May 8. The parade will be led by a pipe and drums band. In the Town Square at 11am, a short service of thanksgiving will take place with community singing at 11.30am. Numerous local groups will take part.
At 12.30pm, the coronation cake will be cut and distributed in the Methodist Centre, Fore Street. Afterwards in the Town Square at 2pm, there will be a coronation fashion parade to which all are welcome to enter. Prizes will be presented to the winners.
There will be a special coronation thanksgiving service on Sunday, May 7, at All Saints’ Church from 7pm with a cup of tea or coffee afterwards. The King will be represented by the Lord Lieutenant of Devon.
The Riviera Singers will be performing a selection of 1960s music in a tribute concert with two free performances in the Methodist Chapel in Fore Street on Thursday, May 4, and Friday, May 5, between 4pm and 5pm.
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May 11, 2022
Brixham will be going back to the Fifties in style to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June. Organisers working with Brixham Future have revealed their programme for more than 40 free events in the port to celebrate 70 years since Queen Elizabeth II’s reign began.
People joining the five-day party are being invited to don 1950s fashions for the occasions, with “full skirts for the ladies and leather jackets and slicked-back hair for the gents” the order of the day. John Brennan, who chairs the Brixham Future Community Interest Company, said: “It was such a significant historical period, with the highlight of The Queen’s coronation signifying a new age of optimism and post-war reconstruction.
“We will be delivering 40 free public events and activities including parades, exhibitions, displays, concerts, music, dancing and church services to inform and entertain locals and visitors alike. It is an opportunity for everyone to celebrate the best in our country.”
The main arena for the celebrations will be the Brixham Town Square directly behind the town’s main bus station. Mr Brennan added: “It was originally funded as a Town Square by European Regional Funding and is the only site in Brixham with capacity to entertain large crowds in a safe and secure environment.
“We are dependent upon our Brixham Lottery income, sponsorship and public donations, and are grateful to everyone who contributes in any way small or large. We anticipate expenditure of around £10,000, raised from local people and organisations.”
The formal launch event will be on Wednesday, June 1 with a social gathering at Brixham Yacht Club from 5.30pm followed by a quiz on the 1950s. The Brixham Community Parade will take place on Friday, June 3, assembling at 10am at the Man and Boy statue before marching via Fore Street to the Town Square.
The Parade will be led by the Exeter Pipe and Drums Band, and there will be a service of thanksgiving and community singing in the square. Other events include free concerts in the Methodist Chapel in Fore Street on Friday and Saturday at 4pm to 5pm when the Riviera Singers will perform.
Each day will also have different activities in Fore Street, Prince William Square or at the Old Fish Quay, with smaller entertainment or static displays such as 1950s vehicles. The Women’s Institute have committed to providing the 1950s Fashion Parade in the Town Square at 2pm on the Friday.
There will also be a range of activities at the Shoalstone Pool Green on Saturday June 4. Frances Robinson of Brixham Future added: “On June 4 there will be a 1950s Dance in the Scala Hall from 7.30pm.
Original story on DevonLive
Jan 26, 2020
Olivia Sibly from Ledbury, Hertfordshire recently took to the skies in a WW2 Spitfire as the winner of Brixham Future’s D-Day75 prize draw. She said “We had a fantastic day. No cloud and we looped the loop and did barrel rolls over the Needles. Thank you to Brixham Future and we wish you every success in your town.”
The winning ticket was was purchased in Middle Street, Brixham on a family outing to the town in early part of the year and was one of 543 tickets sold which raised £2,000 to help fund the free events and exhibitions during the D-Day celebrations from 1st to 9th June.
Brixham Future is already working on a programme of events to mark VE Day on 8th -10th May 2020 and this year’s lottery prize is
a luxury cruise for 2 people !
Mar 16, 2019
A D-Day veteran from Arizona, Harold Wood, celebrated his 100th birthday with a bumper box of Brixham memorabilia, thanks to his good friend, Rick Emry and Brixham Chamber.
As Harold had served as a radio operator in Brixham during the build up to D-Day, his friend, Rick Emry contacted Brixham Chamber via their website, to see if any Brixham items and some form of official recognition could be sent across to the US to celebrate Harold’s special birthday.
Mike Franchi of Brixham Chamber said “We replied immediately to Rick that we would be delighted to help. Together with Brixham Future and the Brixham Branch of the Royal British Legion, we arranged a special certificate, 100th birthday card and a package of Brixham souvenirs, books and information leaflets to be sent to Harold via Rick.”
The items were presented to Harold at his birthday celebration on 16th February. Rick said “Harold was overwhelmed to say the least. He has since set up small display of the certificate and the other items that were sent in his room and enjoys coffee daily from his Brixham mug.”
Harold said “I felt I should let you know how much I appreciate the “Brixham Collection” you gave me. I expect to have many happy hours poring over each item. As you can guess, Brixham has special memories for me.”
Harold was stationed in Brixham from May 1944, lodging at the Berry Head Hotel from where he was picked up each morning and transported to the radar station a few miles away. His most chilling memory of the war was seeing ships loaded with men departing from Torbay for the D-Day invasion.
In 1947 his sister flew on an army transport to England to marry a British pilot officer. On Harold’s recommendation they honeymooned at the Berry Head Hotel.
In 1984, Harold and his wife returned to Brixham and took in the 40th Anniversary commemoration of D-Day.
You can read more of Harold’s story at: http://www.brixhamfuture.co.uk/harolds-story/
Jan 2, 2019
A bright blue new mural in the centre of Brixham has got people talking in the fishing port which is fighting the recession by transforming empty spaces and scruffy walls in a wave of ‘micro regeneration’.
The colourful wall above the Rowcroft Hospice shop and tattoo parlour in Fore Street is the latest wall mural to decorate the town.
Some are being painted by independent traders and some are part of the Brixham Futures campaign.
The Rowcroft shop manager Frances Casey said: “I love it! We’ve been getting a lot of positive feedback with people coming up from the car park who see it straight away.”
Diane Ballard said: “Love this, it brightens our lovely town up,need to a few more to add to the collection.”
Kim Hodder added: ” Love it the shops that have all had artwork done look fabulous and bring some brightness to our high Street.”
Sharon Lovett Stroud said: “It looks brilliant and interesting give visitors something different to look at on their visits. Very talented men.”
The team at Shoalstone Sea Water Pool gave it a double thumbs up and said: “It looks fabulous.”
Brixham Future CIC chairman John Brennan said: “We don’t want to see shops closing down and derelict and no one else has tried micro regeneration and it is the way forward. The town council hasn’t got any money and the government hasn’t got any money.
“We have been doing murals for some time. We need quality rather than graffiti. By the time we get to 15 or 20 it will be saturation. Brixham Futures is doing small scale, quick win, low cost, micro-regeneration.
“There is nothing wrong with Brixham. Brixham is Brixham and it will go on attracting people for generations to come – we don’t need big investment. We need paint and plants and cleaning. You can do an awful lot with paint.
“I think people are quite pleased with the little things we’ve done to improve our high street.”
A shadows project (below) marks the 100th anniversary of the end of the first world war and it was decorated with 216 poppies, one for person lost in the town during the 1914-18 war.
The end flank wall of Dobles the Jewellers (below) in Fore Street has been decorated with a treasure map of Brixham in 1615.
Lauren Ransom, the manager at Dobles, said: “It looks fantastic. The amount of people who stop and take photos is really, really nice.
“I think the murals brighten the street up and make the town look better. If every shop had one it might be too much.”
The beautiful mural (below) is above over the former Pirate Experience which has closed and been replaced with a hairdressers.
Mr Brennan said: “It’s very clever. At night when the light is on in the window it lights up the lantern.”
And on the end wall of The Strand Art Gallery (below) sailing ships have been painted in the style of the artist David Deakins in tribute to the Brixham harbour artists.
Original story by Colleen Smith on Devon Live
Reproduced by kind permission of author/publisher
Photos by Andy Styles
