Do you remember The Lights of Leamington?

Be part of it - share your memories and memorabilia and help us create an exhibition, film, website, podcasts and printed booklet.

Leamington’s Whittle Productions CIC are delighted to announce they have been awarded a grant from The National Lottery Heritage Fund for a new oral history project called ‘Switched on Stories’.

This will record and preserve the stories and memorabilia from the iconic Lights of Leamington Festival which took place in Jephson Gardens from 1951 to 1961. The grant has been made possible thanks to National Lottery players.

To achieve this, Whittle Productions invite everyone who remembers this festival to participate in two community open days to gather, share and save this heritage by gathering their stories and memorabilia from the original Lights of Leamington that will culminate in an exhibition, film, podcasts and printed material for an archived legacy.

Switched On Stories will be launching in February 2025, alongside Spotlight - a new Lights of Leamington inspired community-focused festival. We know from research that people attended from across the West Midlands so the team are inviting anyone with memories or memorabilia to get in touch.

Dates for your diary

Sat 7 Sept | 10am – 4pm | The Dormer Parish Conference Centre CV32 5AA

Sat 14 Sept | 10am – 4pm | All Saints’ Church CV31 1AA

https://bit.ly/46MFw50 Free admission – refreshments available.

Whittle Productions hope people will speak to their families and friends, look through old boxes of photos and films and reflect on a festival that was said to have rivalled the Blackpool Illuminations.

It featured trees illuminated in a rainbow of colours, magical animal installations, fairy tale characters, music, dancing, and spectacular firework displays that attracted crowds from across the West Midlands.

If you're unable to get to the workshops, the team would love to hear from you - email [email protected] or telephone 07768 617081 to speak to one of the team

(photo credit – Courtesy of Leamington Spa Art Gallery & Museum (WDC) and Maurice Mead Photography)