A royal visit and a live TV broadcast are rumoured as part of the celebrations of Preston’s 2102 Guild.
City council bosses have announced their plans for the festivities which begin on the 3rd September 2012.
It follows a rule established in 1562 that celebrations should start on the first Monday after the Feast of Decollation of St John the Baptist.
Originally formed to look after the interests of local traders, merchants and craftsmen, today the Guild is a vibrant and multicultural celebration for the North West.
The 2012 Guild will open with its traditional, colourful procession and end with a firework display and civic reception.
Three balls, and two church services at Preston Minister, have also been confirmed for the next Guild.
Other rumoured projects include a Mr or Mrs Preston, and a building to serve as a legacy to the 2012 Guild.
In a bid to inject some spark into the landmark tradition councillors have discussed plans to employ a Mr or Mrs Preston as Guild director.
The Mr or Mrs Preston who will take up their post before the end of this year, is expected to earn a salary of more than 100,000.
Although no names have been released yet councillors are looking for a Preston equivalent to Sir Bob Scott, who was the mastermind behind the Commonwealth Games in Manchester.
Also rumoured is a new public building to be built to serve as a legacy to the 2012 Guild.
In September last year council members started looking for a suitable project to commemorate the celebrations.
The Guild Hall was constructed to mark the 1272 Guild, but due to delays it did not open un till after the celebrations. For the 1992 Guild no lasting memory was created.
Public art, conference facilities or a new area of parkland are just dome of the ideas put forward by the council so far.
Local people are now being asked what they would like to see to mark the Guild before any final decision is made.
To involve the people of Preston, market research will be carried out before plans are set down. The research will include what the peoples exceptions are and what events they would want to see.
Neil Young, Head of Member and Civic Services said: “The results of the consultations that we have held with the public to see what they want and what expectations they have of the 2012 Guild will be examined in May”
“The Capital of Culture organisers have also provided a help on how to arrange the next Guild properly and gain sponsorship”.
Monday, 21 April 2008
Guild marks a vibrant and multicultural tradition for the Northwest
Despite it being 4 years away Preston is already gearing up for the festivities of the 2012 Guild.
A royal visit, and a live broadcast from the city, are just part of the plans rumoured to inject some spark into the landmark tradition.
The celebrations start on 3rd September, the first Monday after the Feast of Decollation of St John the Baptist, following a rule established in 1562.
Dating back to 1328 when the first Guild was held, it was originally formed to look after the interest of local traders, merchants and craftsmen.
It worked as what is known today as a ‘closed shop’ allowing only members of the Guild to carry out business in Preston.
Today, the celebration brings the whole community together with a series of events and attractions.
The 2012 Guild will open with its traditional procession to reflect Preston’s civic pride and close with a firework display and civic reception.
In the past traders marched through the city wearing colourful costumes and carrying banners of their trades, to demonstrate the city’s power.
As well as the traditional processions three balls, two church services at Preston Minister and a reception for overseas visitors are also expected to take place at the next Guild.
Traditionally traders names were put on a Guild roll and newcomers were only able to trade with the Approval of the Guild.
Its regularly updated list ensured that traders were not falsely claming the right to trade.
Once a trader became a member they were required to come to Preston, to swear loyalty to the Mayor and the Guild Merchant by paying a small fee.
The gatherings for renewing membership were infrequent, the first recorded Guild celebration was in 1397, when it was two centuries old.
From 1542 celebrations took place every twenty years, for a father to pass on membership to his son.
In 1942, the sequence was interrupted for the first time in 400 years due to the Second World War.
With the UK holding the Olympic Games in the same year, sporting events are rumoured to take particular significance in the 2012 Guild.
The Queen, who is expected to open the Olympic Games, like Kings and Queens before her, will be invited to become patron of the Guild.
Along with the celebrations and civic pride, the Guild also provides a lasting legacy for Preston.
The city’s Guild Hall was built to mark the 1972 Guild, but due to delays did not open until after the celebrations. For Preston’s 1992 Guild no legacy was created.
Future legacies for the 2012 Guild are yet to be revealed, but local people are to have a hand in deciding what it should be.
So far public art, conference facilities or a new area parkland are part of the ideas put forward by the council.
Social events are the key to the success of the Guild. A highlight was the Mayoral banquet held after the civic procession on the opening day. Evening entertainment was provided by dances and costume balls.
The fame of Preston’s Guild is spread far and wide. 1782’s Guild was no exception, with the main roads leading into Preston, being blocked by traffic jams.
In the past when the railways were introduced each Guild special trains carried crowds into the city.
Every 20 years the Guild has adapted to change. Including new trades, events, new ways of celebrating the present.
The Guild’s rarity, made it an opportunity for feasting and social gatherings.
Celebrations were more than a way of showing the authority of the trades and craftsmen, it showed the importance of the town itself.
For five centuries the Guild Merchant controlled trade in Preston. In 1790 there was freedom of trade in the town, but the Guild tradition still continued, as it had become an important social event.
Nowadays the Guild is a vibrant and multicultural celebration for the North West. The next Guild to be held in 2012 is dubbed the ‘Peoples Guild‘.
It will involve asking the people of Preston what their expectations are and what they would want to see.
Market research will be carried out before councillors meet to discuss plans later this year.
Councillor Ken Hudson, leader of the council and chairmen of the Guild committee, said that the next Guild will be the peoples Guild.
He said: “ The council will do everything to ensure that Preston’s 2012 Guild is the most memorable yet by involving the people of Preston”
“Now that Preston has been made a city since we last held a Guild in 1992 people will except something different to what we did then. W have got to think a bit bigger for the 2012 Guild”.
A royal visit, and a live broadcast from the city, are just part of the plans rumoured to inject some spark into the landmark tradition.
The celebrations start on 3rd September, the first Monday after the Feast of Decollation of St John the Baptist, following a rule established in 1562.
Dating back to 1328 when the first Guild was held, it was originally formed to look after the interest of local traders, merchants and craftsmen.
It worked as what is known today as a ‘closed shop’ allowing only members of the Guild to carry out business in Preston.
Today, the celebration brings the whole community together with a series of events and attractions.
The 2012 Guild will open with its traditional procession to reflect Preston’s civic pride and close with a firework display and civic reception.
In the past traders marched through the city wearing colourful costumes and carrying banners of their trades, to demonstrate the city’s power.
As well as the traditional processions three balls, two church services at Preston Minister and a reception for overseas visitors are also expected to take place at the next Guild.
Traditionally traders names were put on a Guild roll and newcomers were only able to trade with the Approval of the Guild.
Its regularly updated list ensured that traders were not falsely claming the right to trade.
Once a trader became a member they were required to come to Preston, to swear loyalty to the Mayor and the Guild Merchant by paying a small fee.
The gatherings for renewing membership were infrequent, the first recorded Guild celebration was in 1397, when it was two centuries old.
From 1542 celebrations took place every twenty years, for a father to pass on membership to his son.
In 1942, the sequence was interrupted for the first time in 400 years due to the Second World War.
With the UK holding the Olympic Games in the same year, sporting events are rumoured to take particular significance in the 2012 Guild.
The Queen, who is expected to open the Olympic Games, like Kings and Queens before her, will be invited to become patron of the Guild.
Along with the celebrations and civic pride, the Guild also provides a lasting legacy for Preston.
The city’s Guild Hall was built to mark the 1972 Guild, but due to delays did not open until after the celebrations. For Preston’s 1992 Guild no legacy was created.
Future legacies for the 2012 Guild are yet to be revealed, but local people are to have a hand in deciding what it should be.
So far public art, conference facilities or a new area parkland are part of the ideas put forward by the council.
Social events are the key to the success of the Guild. A highlight was the Mayoral banquet held after the civic procession on the opening day. Evening entertainment was provided by dances and costume balls.
The fame of Preston’s Guild is spread far and wide. 1782’s Guild was no exception, with the main roads leading into Preston, being blocked by traffic jams.
In the past when the railways were introduced each Guild special trains carried crowds into the city.
Every 20 years the Guild has adapted to change. Including new trades, events, new ways of celebrating the present.
The Guild’s rarity, made it an opportunity for feasting and social gatherings.
Celebrations were more than a way of showing the authority of the trades and craftsmen, it showed the importance of the town itself.
For five centuries the Guild Merchant controlled trade in Preston. In 1790 there was freedom of trade in the town, but the Guild tradition still continued, as it had become an important social event.
Nowadays the Guild is a vibrant and multicultural celebration for the North West. The next Guild to be held in 2012 is dubbed the ‘Peoples Guild‘.
It will involve asking the people of Preston what their expectations are and what they would want to see.
Market research will be carried out before councillors meet to discuss plans later this year.
Councillor Ken Hudson, leader of the council and chairmen of the Guild committee, said that the next Guild will be the peoples Guild.
He said: “ The council will do everything to ensure that Preston’s 2012 Guild is the most memorable yet by involving the people of Preston”
“Now that Preston has been made a city since we last held a Guild in 1992 people will except something different to what we did then. W have got to think a bit bigger for the 2012 Guild”.
Sunday, 20 April 2008
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