PARADES, fun days, church services and community activities will be held across East Lancashire to celebrate St George’s Day.

The anniversary will be marked today, the accepted date of the patron saint of England’s death in the year 303, and more activities are planned at the weekend.

A parade through the streets of Barnoldswick has been saved after previous worries over traffic management, and will be held on Saturday, from 9am to 3.30pm, a Pendle Council spokeswoman said.

And a concert will be held at The Riverside at Whitworth Civic Hall on Saturday at 7.15pm, followed by a parade in Market Street on Sunday at 2pm.

Children in fancy dress will hunt for dragons between 11am and 4pm in the museum at Clitheroe Castle, as the legendary St George and the dragon story is retold.

Clitheroe mayor Kevin Horkin said he will also take to the streets to hand out red roses to locals, while Ribble Valley mayor Richard Sherras handed out roses yesterday.

Coun Horkin said: “It has always baffled me that people have always been shy in celebrating St George, but in the Ribble Valley we always have bunting up in the streets, businesses have flags up, and we fly the English and Union Jack flags.”

At Mitton Hall in Whalley, members of the Lancashire Automobile Club have invited classic car owners to join them for their annual tour on Sunday.

A scenic 75-mile route will take in classic rally roads from the ’50s and ’60s, including the Trough of Bowland.

And in Darwen, the Market Square will be consumed by activities on Saturday afternoon, including circus performers, animals from Wellybobs Farm Park, and performances from Darwen Brass and dance groups.

A host of children’s entertainment will be on offer, including a Punch and Judy show and face painting and Darwen Town Council’s mascot ‘Darren’ will be in attendance, along with members of the Royal British Legion and other local charities.

The Society of St George Burnley will also hold its annual dinner on Saturday, where former Burnley FC chief executive Paul Fletcher will give a talk. There will be an auction and a prize draw.

The Royal Society of St George will hold a service at Blackburn Cathedral from 1.45pm on Sunday.

  • More St Georges’s Day pictures tomorrow