FOR years children in Leyland have looked forward to their annual Festival, usually held on the first Saturday in June.

The last Leyland Festival was on June 5, 1999 - exactly a century after the first spectacular event in May, 1899 - when scores of folk took to the flagged-lined streets to enjoy the day.

Citizen reader Cheryl Maher, who reads this newspaper weekly on the Internet from her home in America, recalls the time she and her older sister Tina donned fancy dress and took to the streets as procession collectors in the Leyland Festival 1986.

She said: "Festival is a day when you can forget all your worries and just have a great time."

The Leyland May Festival was intended as a children's fete, arranged by the Sunday School teachers of the Parish Church. The Festival Queen was Elizabeth Marsden.

It became a notable event for Leylanders and attracted large crowds from the surrounding areas. It grew to such an extent that it was given its own field - the Leyland Mayfield.

Displays usually included the crowning of the May Queen, Maypole dancing and Morris Dancers.

In the evening, crowds enjoyed firework displays, dancing and funfair attractions.

The May Festival was held annually until 1936 when it was discontinued.

Later, in 1951, it was revived to celebrate the Festival of Britain and the official opening of Worden Park, in Leyland.

Today, it has grown into a celebrated annual event and is held in June in the hope of better weather on the day.

Although, as many Leyland Festival goers will recall, many a happy time has been had in the pouring rain.

If you have memories of Preston and Leyland past that you would like to share with our readers, then call us on (01772) 255523 or write to us at 3, Winckley Court, Chapel Street, Preston, PR1 3JJ.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.