Star date: 5th November 2011

ORDSALL SPECTACULAR SEES GHOSTS, LANTERNS AND FIREWORKS

Hundreds and hundreds of people packed the grounds of Ordsall Hall last night as a massive community lantern parade concluded with a giant sized puppet show and a spectacular fireworks display. It was enough to make Guy Fawkes himself explode with excitement…

Full story here…

LIGHTING THE LEGEND

The constant rain put no-one off as around 1500 people packed the grounds of Ordsall Hall last night for the annual Lighting The Legend event, which proved to be one of the most spectacular yet.

The night began with a huge lantern parade through the streets of Ordsall, led by a stunning illuminated owl and accompanied by a band of young marching musicians. Behind them were loads of families, many of whom had spent weeks with Ordsall Community Arts making the lanterns in schools, youth clubs and workshops.

Fittingly, the parade ended at Guy Fawkes Street next to Ordsall Hall. Legend has it that Guy Fawkes came up with his plot at the Hall – hence the annual Lighting The Legend event.

This year's theme, however, was the 700 year history of newly refurbished Ordsall Hall, as enacted by a beautiful giant caricature of the White Lady who is said to still haunt the Hall. She came alive and glided through the crowds visiting a series of intricate lanterns in the shapes of animals that would have lived in the grounds – a peacock, squirrel, a deer and a squealing boar which went wild, to the delight of children in its path.

The White Lady's visually stunning journey through the grounds ended at a stage where silhouetted birds came alive in burst of fireworks to reveal the Boy Bots dance crew flapping their stuff.

The night ended with an incredible firework display, fittingly choreographed to the Madness song Our House, and What A Wonderful World.

The rain just couldn't dull a fantastic night that will long live in the memory of the Ordsall Community.

* Special thanks must go to Gail Skelly from Ordsall Community Arts who went on a sponsored `no booze' run for 22 weeks to help pay for the fireworks.

* Salford Council gave a measly £500 towards the innovative community driven Lighting The Legend event, while throwing thousands of pounds at displays at Buile Hill Park and Irlam. The Salford Star asked for a quote as to why the Council didn't support this event properly and exactly how much it had given to other displays but it never responded.

* The Buile Hill Park Bonfire, Eccles Old Road, is tonight 5th November, beginning with a funfair at 6pm, a bonfire at 7pm and Fireworks at 7:30pm

* The Peel Park Bonfire in Ram Street, Little Hulton, begins at 7pm with Fireworks at 7:30pm.