New Ferry Festival in full swing!

Day one of the three-day New Ferry Festival is underway at New Ferry Park with many people enjoying the funfair and military displays on offer.

On Sunday and Monday, there will be a Birds of Prey display. On all three days there will also be variety of stalls selling gifts, crafts, sweets, and charities with tombolas.

Chair of the New Ferry Community Land Trust, Margaret Kegg says, “This year’s festival is being funded from money given to New Ferry by the Metro Mayor Steve Rotherham’s Town Centre Fund.

“With the 18 month pandemic lockdowns and restrictions having kept so many people imprisoned in their own homes, we want this event to be a chance for everyone to come outdoors and have some fun in New Ferry. New Ferry is so proud to play host to this special event, with the aircraft and living history displays being a brilliant learning experience for the kids and adults too!”

birkenhead.news went along and spoke to the organiser, Mark Craig, who is Chair of the New Ferry Residents Association and Secretary of the New Ferry Land Trust. He explained what the New Ferry Festival was all about, “We did have a festival between 2005 and 2008, but then we rested it for a while. We resurrected it again after the New Ferry explosion, back in 2017, because felt the community needed a bit of a lift.”

Mark has tried to run the festival every year since, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no event took place in 2020. Mark continued, as a demonstration of a hand-operated air raid siren was sounding, “The major attraction is the two WWII aircraft – the MKIX Spitfire and the Messerschmitt 109E – the latter of which will be appearing on a six-part BBC TV drama series ‘SAS: Rogue Heroes’ next year.”

“We have a funfair here, that will be even bigger tomorrow, along with all the military vehicles and military reenactors. On Sunday and Monday we’ve got a birds of prey display.”, he said. “Everyone’s having fun!”

As the event displays were being set up on Friday evening, the Spitfire and the Messerschmitt needed their wings reattaching following being transported to the site. Unfortunately, the workers who were supposed to help the planes’ owners were delayed, but a group of local teenagers who were in the park at the time, came to the rescue.

Mark said, “When the aircraft arrived here yesterday, the guys who were supposed to help get the wings on were delayed and couldn’t get here on time. There was a gang of local teenagers – Alfie Evans and his mates – who were absolutely superb. They were really polite, they were very interested in the aircraft and they asked if they could help. The lads all helped to get the wings on. Very often young people get bad press, but these teenagers are an absolute credit to New Ferry.”

The organisers are also asking visitors to come to the event either on foot, or to use public transport where possible. There are several bus routes passing through New Ferry, and Bebington Station is just a healthy 15 minutes walk away. Those coming by car are asked to park in either Woodhead Street Car Park, or Grove Street Car Park.

For more details, visit: https://newferryonline.org.uk/community-announcements