2019 Gallery | wpitp

Winchester Party in the Park 2019

All ways a popular part of the days is the wide selections of local acts, music and performances on our stage throughout the event.	As usual we try to provide a wide selection of food and drink from the Trickets Fun Fair Fare to Carroll Centre Café, this year we also had a Carvery (shown above) and of course Fat Sam’s Ice-cream van.	Everyone wanted a selfie with our VIP or should we say VIT (Very Important Tortoise) though it wasn’t doing autographs.
Nice to see proformers like Nathan Scott and his band who enjoyed the event and wanted to come back.	A new attraction for this year is Battlefield South a laser tag technology crossed with paintball combat style environment and proved to be very popular.	A regular supporter of the Event was Winchester University who sponsored the stage again this year.
Always popular especially with the younger children is the petting farm that allows kids to get hands on experiences which otherwise they would miss out on.	Stevo and his new young apprentice practicing some magic and leaves the little ones spellbound.	J C Scooters once again held a Scooter Jam on the Skate Park, which is always well attended and enjoyed. As well a chance for many to show off their skills.
As always, we try to have a wide selection of stalls that fit within our remit, support local small businesses, charities, community groups, health and the environment as well as fun. Here we have Slimming World who are definitely enjoying themselves.	Portsmouth Reptile and Amphibian Society (PRAS) are keen in educating people about these more unusual pets and happy to answer any questions. As well, they work hard at rehoming unwanted or abandoned ones.	One on one battle of strength, agility and balance where friend and family can contest in a harmless enjoyable way
Each year we try to expand our resources, this is for two reasons. Firstly, to cut costs of hiring equipment and secondly to raise funds by hiring equipment out to local organisations/events. So far we have Gazebos (with plain covers), walkie-talkies and Portable PA System.	These elegant pair look ready for the party and so do the lamas.	Close to the Coast is a local band from Winchester whose acoustic sound can be heard at many local venues with a variety of sounds, topics and lyrics which appeal to more than just the one audience.
Audience participation is always part of Stevo and Kai’s act and the kids love their 15 minutes of fame.	Another new attraction this year was the Frozen Ride which was popular with many of our shorter residents.	Snakes are not the only creatures at the PRAS attraction, various lizards, hairy spiders and exotic insects are shown and maybe handled.
We try to promote health and fitness (which if you look too close at some of the committee, might be surprising) and this year we had Boogie Bounce a fun and low impact form of staying trim.	Winchester City Royals Basketball Club attended promoting their club and the sport by showing how to shoot and dunk the ball.	One of our long-time supporters is the Tesco Community Champion who has attended most of our events over the years.
Trickett’s Fun Fair is part of the backbone of the event and a favourite with our guests, especially the younger ones.	Yet again Romsey Old Cadets put on another spectacular and humorous show, This years theme, this year’s theme was Policeman and Burglar with Judge in charge, always fun and great at getting audience participation.	This year we extended the funfair theme with fair style games and the smallest strong man machine or should that be the strong ‘little’ man machine.
Think snakes are slimy or creepy or both? Then you’ve never had a cuddle with one, and this one can cuddle a whole family.	Osbourne have been supporters of the event for many years and their mascot is very popular especially in family photos. In the background is our splat the rat game that was also used by Carroll Centre over the summer holidays.	So It Goes is another first timer to the event, this band plays indie and Britpop hits in gig and festivals across the south coast.
Thanks to the mayor for opening our event and spending time talking to all the stall holders and residents. We had many councillors and the MP attending and from their comments afterward had a enjoyable time.	Again we had our fund raising stalls to help raise money to put the event on, we are a charity and mostly require grants and funding by organisations such as Winchester City Council, A2Dominion, Winchester University and Hampshire County Council amongst others to run this event.	Another regular is Portsmouth Reptile and Amphibian Society and boy their hall was packed all the time. It was nice to see them also join us on the field this year though some didn’t know what to make of it.
We want to promote local groups and societies, such as Stanmore Gardening Club and happy to see as many and as varied selection as possible	Each year there is something we remember, this visitor wanted to have a good look round without its chaperone. Not what you expect to see was you walk around a corner. Its break for freedom only lasted a couple of minutes and was soon back with its mates.	Well, you got to have cakes at a party, and these did look exceedingly nice cakes.
We had again many great local acts and troupes that entertained the crowd, Maybe we should have a ‘Winchester’s Got Talent’ to promote them.	This image sums up this year’s event, to capture our next generations imagination and to make them wonder about the world around them.	We would like to thank all the volunteers and helpers throughout the year as well as on the day, without whom, we wouldn’t be able to put the event on. Volunteers are rare as gold dust and we treasure them as such.