Activity Booked: Donkey Rides

As at last year's Harold Hill Festival we will be having donkey rides again this year. The donkeys will be provided by Riffhams Donkeys and will be incorporated into the price of a wristband. To find out more about Riffhams Donkeys see their website at http://www.riffhamsdonkeys.co.uk/ where you can find information about their donkeys and some photographs.

Remember to keep reading the Harold Hill Festival Blog to keep up-to-date with all the latest news.

100 days to go to the Harold Hill Festival!

As the big day gets nearer we're getting both excited and busier with lots of things to do. Harry the Squirrel is looking forward to his biggest day of the year and starting to make sure he's ready for it. So it's time to start counting down with only 100 days to go...

In the run up to the day we will be blogging on the acts, stalls and activities that are booked for the Harold Hill Festival 2013. Keep in touch with us on www.haroldhillfestival.blogspot.com

If you are on Twitter you can follow us @haroldhillfesti or if on Facebook we would like to see you to 'Like' us at www.facebook.com/haroldhillfesti

Activity Booked: Circus Skills

The Harold Hill Festival can now announce that the Circus Skills will be returning for another year. There will be the chance for residents to try a variety of circus activities including juggling, tricks with hoops and all sorts of other amazing stuff. The Circus Skills will be provided by the Roger Arnay and Circus Company and you can find their website with photos of the kind of things they do at http://www.rogerarnaycc.co.uk

To keep up with all the activities, stalls and entertainment being booked for the Harold Hill Festival then follow us on our blog at www.haroldhillfestival.blogspot.com

recruitment poster

Hello

Just to inform everyone that there is a community poster, it is currently being distributed around Harold Hill, it looks like:

Poster: Volunteers Wanted for Harold Hill Festival

Poster to recruit volunteers for the Harold Hill Festival. Please share.

Remember you can keep up with all the latest news on the Harold Hill Festival at Harold Hill Festival Blog and sign-up to volunteer at Harold Hill Festival Website

Harold Hill man Dave Butler’s 500-mile challenge for Richard House Children’s Hospice

A heart-warming story that isn't directly festival-related. However as part of a festival that celebrates Harold Hill and its local people we think it's something we want to share with you on our blog. To find out more click on the blue link below.

Story as seen in Romford Recorder

"It’s not a Proclaimers joke – Dave Butler really would walk 500 miles

Or, at least, he’d run and cycle them. Starting with the Brighton Marathon on April 14, the big-hearted Harold Hill cabbie is taking on five races in five weeks – all in aid of a kids’ hospice.

Of course, whether he’ll still be singing as he crosses the finish line of the 200-mile Mitie London Revolution race remains to be seen.

Briar Road resident Dave, 50, hopes to raise £1,500 for the Newham-based Richard House Children’s Hospice. Although he doesn’t have any personal ties to the charity, it’s a cause he feels very strongly about."

To sponsor Dave, visit http://www.justgiving.com/Dave-Butlers-Challenge

Harold Hill Festival - Featured in Havering Life Magazine

The Havering Life magazine have done a lovely piece on the Harold Hill Festival for their latest edition. It is an online only magazine and can be found at http://issuu.com/haveringlife/docs/haveringlife_march13

Note: the link is now working.

Photograph: Central Park, Harold Hill 1 (Thames Water Flood Defence)

Photo of the Thames Water Flood Defence being installed. This is under Central Park, Harold Hill where the Harold Hill Festival is held.

Photograph is copyright of Don Tait, please don't reproduce without permission.

New Social Media Coordinator

We have a new Social Media Coordinator volunteer who has started in his role today. Dermid will be coordinating our online presence on this blog, our Facebook and Twitter. Please give him a warm welcome and keep reading as the Harold Hill Festival gets closer.

Meet the Partners: London Borough of Havering

One of the most important partners for the Harold Hill Festival is the London Borough of Havering. A number of their services help make the festival possible. These include:

Parks - by allowing us to use Central Park, Harold Hill.

Homes and Housing - storage of equipment, logistical support and staff support on the day

Regeneration - promotion on website and newsletter, provision of funding and staff time from the Harold Hill Ambitions programme to support the festival

Community Engagement - support for the committee, networking advice and support with marketing

Events and Communications - advice on event organisation, health and safety, licencing as well as promotion support

myplace - help with recording event and due to put on activities at this year's event

There will in additional be a range of other council staff who support the Harold Hill Festival. We are grateful for the support we receive as a committee from them and look forward to working with the council in future.

To find out more about the council see London Borough of Havering

Meet the Partners: St Georges Church

St Georges Church's Community Centre hosts most of the committee meetings of the Harold Hill Festival and is also the postal address for our correspondence.

As well as religious activities the Centre hosts St John's Ambulance, Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, a Fellowship lunch for the over 50s, the Neave Club for disabled people, a pre-school and much, much, more.

To find out full details on the Church and Community Centre see http://stgeorgesharoldhill.org.uk/

St Georges Church are also on Facebook and the vicar has a Twitter account @revramblings

If you are interested in our Meet the Partners posts then check out previous ones on:

Volunteer Centre Havering
Friends of Dagnam Park
myplace
Harold Hill Ambitions

HAVCO Newsletter Features Harold Hill Festival

The HAVCO (Havering Association of Voluntary and Community Organisations) newsletter has recently featured the Harold Hill Festival Committee in its newsletter. It features us in an article that highlights our social media usage as an example for others to follow. To find out more see the HAVCO Website and click on newsletters tab

As well the Harold Hill Festival blog you can follow all our latest news on the Harold Hill Festival Twitter Feed or our Harold Hill Festival Facebook Page

And if you want to volunteer or have a stall you can book one online on the Harold Hill Festival Website

Another Harold Hill?

Since we started this blog we have noticed that a lot of visitors come from the United States of America. I have a hunch that this is because of the Harold Hill in the Broadway hit musical from the 1950s. The Music Man became a film in the 1960s and a US television version in 2003. This Harold Hill rather than being a place is a person and a con man at that. In fact looking at what is said on Twitter it appears that as well as being part of popular culture it is also an insult to suggest someone is Harold Hill-like and untrustworthy.

If you want to find out more then look on the internet. And in case anyone has come looking for film references this website is definitely one for the Harold Hill Festival in Harold Hill, Essex.

Poster: Local Talent Wanted (Please share link)

Poster to recruit local talent for Harold Hill Festival 2013 stage. Please share this link with people who might be interested.

Remember you can keep up with all the latest news on the festival at www.haroldhillfestival.blogspot.com and submit your interest in playing at www.haroldhillfestival.moonfruit.com