School transforms annual summer fair into new festival in Fulwood

Group Relative Cool perform at Our Lady's Festi-ful

The first Festi-Ful at Our Lady’s St Edwards Primary School on Sunday afternoon went off with a bang by all accounts.

Head teacher of the school in Lightfoot Lane, Karen Woods told the Post that this year she wanted to do something different for their annual fair.

“The reason why we did a festival just to create a change,” she said. “For years we’ve had a summer fair but we wanted to do something a little different, something to draw the community together.

Mia-Beau Jackson Smith, five with the festival crown she made

“We enjoy musical events and bringing the musical aspect into the school. Hopefully we can continue to develop it.

“We had a live band called Relative Cool and a DJ to entertain the children in between the band’s performances.

“The children also performed a song called Watermelon and the juniors did This Is Me from The Greatest Showman and performed it well for their parents.”

The visitors, numbering 400, brought along their own picnic chair and blankets to the school grounds, kicking back to enjoy the atmosphere, sunshine and entertainment.

Freya Maguire, 10, having a go at deep sea diving at one of the more unusual festival stalls

There were acoustic performances from Newman Collage students, iced drinks, lollies and a host of activities.

Youngsters got to learn how to make bracelets, flower crowns, have their faces painted, enjoy a visit from owls and take rides on a donkey. They even got the chance to look around a dive boat and try on life jackets.

Competitions and activities included a coconut shy, welly throwing, hook a rubber duck and beat the goalie.

Karen said: “Everyone was milling around. We were trying to create that festival feel. It felt different and we had a lot of positive feedback from parents who enjoyed it and who were quite pleased with the change.”

She also asked school pupils for feedback from the festival on Monday who she says also all really enjoyed the changes with the inclusion of a band, DJ and BBQ.

“Bands were new and the BBQ was new,” said Karen. “The entertainment for the children with the DJ was really good, it got the children involved. Having the flower crowns also gave the opportunity for the children to be creative. The home made smoothie shack was very popular. It was just to bring the school community together in a different way and sometimes to make a change can have a great impact.”