End of an Era?
A few decades ago, the Whitsuntide walk was a major local event and all the local churches and chapels joined in. The procession went all the way from Penistone to Millhouse Green. It was a great occasion for kids to dress up for and its preparations went on for months in advance. Have a look at some old pictures from 1933 in Thurlstone. Penistone has always had parades for special occasions, such as VE day and various Royal milestones. There was even a cycle parade around 1913 but that is long forgotten now.
Going back even further, Penistone held very popular horse races on the 'Race Common' in Cubley and there were regular cock-fighting matches in Cockpit Lane, near Penistone Church. Post-war, there was reputed to be a circus based somewhere near Tenter Lane.
Some very old Penistone traditions have come to an end in recent years. Penistone Sing and 'The Feast' (Marshalls funfair) went after a long run but Tuby's Spring and Autumn funfairs came along to fill the gap. There are rumours every so often that the Sing could make a comeback but it has not happened. One old tradition which continues is on Good Friday, when bags of flour are handed out at Penistone Church to the needy. Penistone Show never fails to impress although Barnsley council continue to threaten our Showground. Penistone Parade and Gala also continue to be very popular with a weekend of festivities and entertainment every June.
It was Penistone's turn to host Yorkshire Day in 2006 and that certainly put us on the map - for a short while. Everyone put a great effort into the day and the nobs came here from all over Yorkshire in their finery and gold chains. The Remembrance Day procession and public assembly continues to this day and does not show any signs of diminishing.
Penistone Markets
Penistone is a busy place on Thursday market days and monthly Farmers' Markets (2nd Saturday of every month). Market days currently bring a good many visitors and trade to our town but there are some problems with the new market barn. It is far too windy and not very well-lit. Here are a few nostalgic pictures from our old market stalls before the market barn went up. See the links page for contact details of both markets.
Monthly Farmer's Markets: Farmers' Markets are held on the second Saturday of every month. Thurlstone Brass Band launched the first one in April 2003, as in the top row pictures. The fruit and veg stall is there every Saturday, Farmer's Market or not (highly recommended). Middle row pictures are from 2007 and show how busy the agricultural side can be. The retail side was a bit thin that day because of poor weather.
Good quality, local produce can be found at these events, especially meats, bread and cheeses. Try the rye bread from Pott's, a Barnsley bakery. Be warned that any goods without price tags will be more expensive than you thought. Stalls vary from month to month but here are some of them:
Thursday Produce Sale
A.k.a. 'Penistone Country Market'. Home-made produce, such as jams and marmalades, cakes, etc. Every Thursday 10am - 12 noon in the Community Centre. Refreshments available too. Have a nice cup of tea and a sit down. Used to be just the Women's Institute but now other groups join in.
Weekly Organ Concerts
Paramount organ concerts in Penistone are hugely popular and a great 'selling point' for the town, frequently with every ticket sold out. Coachloads come from far and wide. The car park can quickly fill up and visitors might like to park at the nearby railway station, Community Centre or by the fire station. They won't be able to use the proposed Tesco car park as it will be under their control and limited to 2 hours only. Every Saturday at 2.30pm. Info tel. 07944 566972.
Previous Highlights
The old 'Events List' pages have been removed to make more of the limited server space. This whole website fits into a 100 MegaByte allocation.
Erica Jong: 'Advice is what we ask for when we already know the answer but wish we didn’t.'