By Noelle Williamson
The pizza ovens at Grumpy’s Restaurant, in Farsley, were cold last Monday, but every table was occupied – just not with customers.
Instead, they had been pushed together to support a paper lantern production line.
A dozen or more people were variously occupied in small teams: bending and taping lengths of willow into shape; stringing lights through a completed skeleton section; liberally coating double sheets of wet-strength tissue paper with dilute PVA; or applying the wet tissue panels to a skeleton in overlapping layers.
In short, they were assembling a giant butterfly for the Farsley Lantern Parade on Wednesday, November 26.
If this sounds like your kind of fun, there’s a workshop tonight!
As previously reported these willow workshops will be happening at Grumpy’s every Monday from 4pm until 8.30pm until Monday, 24 November.
The four-and-a-half-hour window is to accommodate different routines and commitments.
Alex Rogerson, who owns Grumpy’s with her sister, Cassie, said: “Between four and six is our quietest time. Then from six onwards, the room fills up quite a bit. Any early volunteers would be amazing this year.”
Production was in full swing when I arrived at 6.30pm last Monday. In fact, a mother and daughter left soon after: they had already put in a couple of hours’ gluing and layering. I didn’t know anyone, and was a ‘willowing’ novice, but I was welcomed and set to very sticky work!
Alex and Cassie Rogerson founded Farsley Community Project in 2020, during Lockdown, but Farsley Lights Switch-On is much older.
Alex said: “Two local residents set up the Farsley Lights Switch-on 36 years ago, and it’s been a much-loved event for all this time. The last couple of years we’ve tried to enhance it by bringing everybody together around the switch on. To celebrate the community.
“Last year, we got an arts grant from the council – I think it was £10,000 – and then Grumpy’s match funded it – put it in about £5,000 worth of time and money to the projects.
“This year, we don’t have the arts grant, so we’re repurposing a lot of materials and puppets to keep the costs down. The theme is Children’s Literature, and we’re reimagining last year’s fox, rabbit and owl as Fantastic Mr Fox, Peter Rabbit, and Hedwig, from Harry Potter.
“But also, we’ve started a community funding pot. At the moment we’ve got £700 in that, which is amazing! We’re hoping to keep it really sustainable, so obviously, the more people that contribute in terms of volunteering or with a kind donation, the better, because it’ll mean that we can keep doing it year after year.”
Alex says schools are more involved with the giant lanterns this year: “West Royd, Farsley Farfield and Farsley Springbank are always in the parade every year, and they come down from the library.
“So this year, together, they’ve collaborated on one giant lantern – which I’ve not disclosed yet! – that they’ll carry along – all the schools!
“We’re also working alongside West SILC Powerhouse again. The students are 16-19 and they’re going to help decorate the wings of the butterfly. And then, hopefully Priesthorpe secondary school’s SEN unit are going to come and help us. We’ve got the Brownies, and the Guides coming in, and the Cubs are also getting involved. So there’s lots of community groups. They’re all involved.”
If you want to get involved too, go to https://www.grumpysleeds.co.uk/events-workshops/volunteer-workshops and sign up for a session.
Farsley’s lantern parade takes place on the same evening as the Farsley Christmas lights switch on.
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