Beacons Lantern Parades

30 May 201626 October 2019

For the last 3 years I have run lantern making workshops for the fantastic Beacons Lantern Parade. A friendly event, organised by the Friends of Parkwood Springs.

Each year, The event congregates on Parkwood Springs [map] with The Sheffield Samba Band drumming us up at dusk and leading us and our array of lanterns up through the woods to the vantage point which looks out over Sheffield, before heading back into the woods and down to the field.

Beacons 2015

17th October 2015 – A most amazing date to celebrate, not least because it was also my birthday! with ‘Last Minute Lantern Making’ and refreshments thanks to Fancy An Indian and The Bean Rover.

12112164_10154342999682907_3984363419905581048_n — Friend and fellow artist, Samantha Gallbraith created this vibrant image of our kestrel.

Each year we have worked with more groups and more people. Running workshops open to all at Burngreave Chapel – and with local schools; Pitsmoor Adventure Playground; St Catherine’s and Watercliffe Meadows; Cubs and Guides groups, The Sheffield Sea Cadets; Leaf Allotments; Sage Green Fingers; Open Kitchen and The Friends of Parkwood Springs.

Beacons 2016

This year we had a bit of a Jungle Book theme prompted by one of the cub-scout groups I was working with, where we also made puppets and re-enacted the song, ‘The Bare Necessities’ as a shadow puppet show at the end of the parade with my elder brother, Chris helping out with the sound equipment and my younger brother, Richard coming along at the last minute to sing and play the song on his guitar along with another Richard, who was passing by. All very spontaneous, slightly hectic and immensely enjoyable!

Meanwhile at Pitsmoor Adventure Playground, we made cardboard cut-out Jungle Book characters and an enormous baby elephant.

Beacons 2017

For our third year we decided to scale down on the size of lanterns as some were finding it difficult to carry the larger creations on the procession. We focused on making smaller lanterns of animals and birds – Returning to our theme of local wildlife – Wonderful to see so many foxes, rabbits, great crested newts and the occasional parrot illuminating the woods!