Lovely day out in Harrogate Valley Gardens celebrating the 1940s. The weather was overcast until around two then sun came out making for challenging photography. A great crowd of people all enjoying themselves. The singers drew the crowd and the bank in front of the bandstand forms a great amphitheatre full of people. A really proper event.
Valley Gardens is well situated. An English valley of proper park with everything a park should have: tearoom, ponds, a boating lake, an arbor, bandstand, etc. Everyone was either promenading, for which the park is perfect, or picnicing, watching the world go by.
There were Jeeps and people dressed in 1940s clothes, some uniform, some civilian. A diverse mix. Steam engines too. Vintage cars. And a discrete range of food vans.
And the Spitfire flew over and thrilled the crowd, twice, low. Its sound so recognisable drawing ooohs from the crowd. There are few sounds like it to turn the head. Instantly recognisable and beautiful for it.
I wished I could have stayed longer the light getting better each hour that passed but it was a long way and domestic duty took precedence. A good drive though through the Pennine Hills with high up villages, and Northern towns with mills and ring roads.
If you're considering going next year I would advise arrive early since every car parking place was full and we had to drive a little way around the gardens to find a place. Its such a good event that it will become more and more popular and, eventually, become a weekend event.
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