Another umbrella scene - on the procession route. It was the Umbrella Carnival! The rain poured down on Saturday, and though it ceased long enough to let the Nelson procession and gala opening go on, the event as a whole was ruined. Months of work and planning by the Gala committee were washed away – but enough people braved the weather to ensure that expenses will have been covered. There will definitely be a gala next year. Throughout the afternoon the rain stopped and started, ending in a downpour more or less as clowning disc jockey, Jimmy Saville, had declared the event open. As the various tableaux, which formed what was probably the best ever carnival procession, gathered in the side streets off Every Street, the rain came down, only to stop as the procession got under way. Thick crowds, but noticeably less thick than previous years, lined the route to watch the procession go by, and up went the umbrellas as each shower came.
There were speeches at the opening by gala officials, civic heads and, of course, cigar smoking Mr Saville, who on a serious note, reminded people what a worthwhile cause they were supporting. Pretty gala queen, Miss Jean Arnold, presented the winners of the various procession classes with their prizes. The Britannia Coconut Dancers of Bacup, braved the elements to give an entertaining display. The scouts and guides ran a chair-lift event which did a good trade despite the fact that an attempt to persuade Jimmy Saville to patronise it failed. Mr Saville was busy signing autographs for 6d, a kiss on the cheek being a bonus. Dozens of girls queued in the pouring rain.
The morris dancing continued in Victoria Park, but the large crowd that had gathered on Seedhill for the opening ceremony soon dwindled as the rains came again. “The rain is a tragedy for us, but luckily our expenses have been covered and people have come through the turnstiles to support us.” said chairman of the organising committee, Mr Harry Howarth. “This is the eighth gala and only one previously has been rain-affected, so we can’t really grumble. We shall certainly have a gala next year.” Mr Howarth added that, although the fee charged by Jimmy Saville is a closely guarded secret, the disc jockey charged a low fee as he was sorry that the event had been rain-affected and he didn’t want the committee to be