Annual Byron Festival is hailed a success

Mansfield Male Voice Choir teamed up with the Ellenismos Greek dancing group, as well as Newstead Brass Band, to entertain a large crowd in the sun-bathed abbey grounds on Sunday.

“It made for a delightful end to what has been a successful festival,” said Ken Purslow, chairman of the organising committee.

At a meeting this week, the committee pledged that there will be a 2015 festival, although funding it will be a big challenge.

Another musical highlight was a memorable concert by Thoresby Colliery Brass Band in Hucknall Parish Church.

Other festival events included the Byron dinner at Hucknall’s Bella Mia restaurant and an afternoon tea at Colwick Hall, once the home of the poet’s boyhood love, Mary Chaworth, where a talk was given by Professor John Beckett.

As in previous years, the Byron pilgrimage walk from Hucknall Parish Church to Newstead Abbey and back was led by Jim Spray, with 12 people taking part.

In a less strenuous vein, a heritage bus tour took place to Newstead Abbey, Annesley All Saints’ Church and Annesley Old Church.

The award ceremony for the Maureen Crisp poetry competition was held during a ‘Poems and Pints’ event at the John Godber Centre, Hucknall. This year’s theme was ‘Byron and Animals’.

The winner for the third time in four years was Maddie Scott, of Hucknall, with a poem called ‘A Byronic Menagerie’. Runner-up was Mary White, who lives in Nottingham, and third place went to Kath Clarke, of Bulwell, with an entry entitled ‘Lament for Boatswain’.

Entertainment was provided by well-known poet Mark Gwynne-Jones and The Gentlemen vocal group.

On the sporting scene, members of Linby and Hucknall Dolphins Swimming Club completed an amazing 2,770 lengths of the town’s Leisure Centre pool in the Byron swim to raise money for Nottingham City Hospital’s ‘Maggie’s Centre’.

The Byron golf tournament was won by Mike Draper, a member of Leen Valley Golf Club and handicap secretary of Edwalton Golf Club, with a round of 85 for a nett score of 59. Thirty-one golfers took part.

Librarian Ralph Lloyd-Jones, who gave a talk to about 40 people in Hucknall Library, said: “It is an extreme honour for Hucknall to have Byron buried in the Parish Church. Many people are really moved when they visit the poet’s last resting-place.”