In the Community 2019 – Event 14 – Teddy Bears Picnic

Teddy Bears Picnic, People’s Park, Banbury.

It seemed that every bear that ever there was had gathered in People’s Park because they wanted to enjoy food and drink plus fun and games.

Youngsters of all ages took their teddy bears and summer snacks for a sunshine picnic hosted jointly by Banbury Town Council and Banbury Lions.

The Teddy Bear’s Picnic was the last of a series of events organised to remember the centenary of the opening of the park in 1919, and hundreds of families marked the occasion by taking teddies of all sizes and ages to celebrate.

Bears and their owners enjoyed music and games, sing-a-long sessions, competitions, face painting, funfair rides and tombolas.

The event ran from 11.00am to 2.00pm but many families arrived early and stayed late.

Cllr Colin Clarke, chairman of the council’s general services committee, said: “This picnic really caught the imagination of mums, dads and their children.

“The event celebrated 100 years of People’s Park, Banbury’s premier leisure space which was left to the town by benefactor GV Ball as an amenity to be enjoyed by all. Thursday’s picnic certainly fulfilled Mr Ball’s wishes.”

Graham Raven, president of Banbury Lions, said: “We are delighted to be here to see so many families enjoying themselves in the sunshine.”

The Lions were advertising their ‘message in a bottle’ and ‘message in a wallet’ schemes that make a person’s essential medical information clearly available if emergency services are called to an illness or accident at home or out and about.

Full details of the schemes are on the Banbury Lions’ website under ‘welfare.’

Thanks to our team who helped, Brian Baker, Pete Emms, Olwen Baker, John Butler and Stewart Green, Paul Baker for towing the vehicle and a special thanks to the Banbury Town Council and the Lions Club of Banbury for inviting us to be part of this event.