Salisbury Xmas Parade 2014

SALISBURY CHRISTMAS PARADE

Sat. 15-11-2014.

For the third year now I have organised the cars and decorations to take part in the Salisbury Christmas Parade. For the third year our Club and members have supported this community event, by donating their time and vehicles. We decorate our cars for the pleasure of the children, but include the people who line the route of the Parade. I understand up to 8.000 people came to see this well supported event.

Eight highly decorated cars mainly from our club would enter as one float in the Salisbury Christmas Parade. Our cars would share the one thousand dollars it took to fund our car decorations, the helium balloons, the balloons on sticks, and the lollies that were handed to the children as we went along.

Colin Martin from Martin Real Estate is one of the two main Sponsors of this Parade event, he has been for 15 years in one form or another. It is because of people like him and the City of Salisbury, the Police, and the huge number of volunteers that make it possible for this event to happen at all.

Our eight, mainly old cars were entered as Colin’s float to the parade. He gave us the money to purchase the Xmas decorations, so we could decorate our cars in the Christmas Spirit. It has been reported that our float was among the best in the Parade. We had lots of tinsels,
streamers, a Christmas tree, a Father Christmas, balloons, festive pictures, and other decorations, but also included the many hundreds of lollies to be given out. Our Tracy in her FJ, Holden Ute arranged for additional money, sponsored by Hansen where she works, to pay for some extra decorations, and some 600 balloons, 300 hundred balloons would be attached to sticks as handouts to the children. The other 300 balloons we will inflate with helium gas, mainly for use on our eight cars to make a highly colourful spectacle that could be seen in the distance and from every direction.

It would be an early start for some of us, Tracy was meeting Carly and I here to finish some details off after her whole day here yesterday preparing her ute. Carly and I started two days earlier so by Friday night our Mini was ready for our 7-30 AM start. Brian would leave quit early to drive his 1924 Oakland (Betsy) from Happy valley in Sat morning traffic to pick up Barry, and be in Salisbury before 8-00AM. Steve with Anne in her Oxford, Michael, Callum, Jessica and Kerry in her Oxford, Lucy with Chris in her Mazda, and finally Edd in his Rover.

We all met behind Martin House, in Salisbury at 8-00Am to decorate our cars we needed every minute as we had to leave at 9-30AM. During that time we also had to blow up 300 balloons fit them to sticks, then fill a further 300 balloons with helium and attach them to the cars.

We had to leave there at 9-30Am, all decorated in a slow convoy, to Pioneer Park. Here we are placed in our order for the Parade as it starts off at 10-30Am. Our entry in the Parade is the eighth float from the beginning of some 81 floats in total, so we very near the start of the whole event. There are few barriers for the crowd watching the Parade to stand behind (really only honour lines), so we must pay attention as we ollow the Parade route. The whole Parade only takes one hour before the last float crosses the finish line.

As all our vehicles crossed the finish line (I had heard the problem was actually crossing the starting line for one particular Rover! Editor.) we realized it was over for yet another year. Now we needed to start removing of our decorations so we can again drive on the road to our homes.

Being able to witness first-hand the many thousands of people sitting and standing on both sides of the Parade route. To include the growing number of old, a number of people in wheel chairs, the adults, and more specially the children.

Being able to see their enthusiasm, their faces all lit up, and their joy on this Parade is enough each time I do this to keep taking my breath away.

Wishing our Club and friends an exciting festive season, a Safe and Happy New Year.

Written by Malcolm and Carly Goldsworthy.