Vintage Day extravaganza coming soon

The event is hoped to attract even more than last year’s estimated 10,000 visitors to the town centre, and takes place on Saturday, May 30 from 10am-5pm.

Chairman of the Batley Business Association and chief organiser Andrew Marsden thinks the festival can brighten the town’s prospects.

“You’ve got a massive footfall with more people coming than Batley sees in one day for anything else. There’s nothing else which has the immediate economic impact for the retailers.

“We’ve got that buzz about the town, that feelgood factor that gives people a bit of pride in their town.

“And it’s a springboard for other events. The more that we demonstrate that it’s a great place for events and for people to come and enjoy themselves, the more we can do. The more people who come and support it, the better it will be.”

This year the event has been broadened to include styles from the 1920s right through to the swinging sixties.

One of the highlights will be the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight by the Dakota FZ692, a plane used during the D-Day landings.

Mr Masrden said: “You’re not going to miss it, it’s going to make a hell of a racket and it will fly down low.”

Other attractions include live music in the marquee at the bottom of the Memorial Gardens, more than 30 stalls in the Market Place and a mixture of vintage vehicles.

There will also be old fashioned crafts such as dolly peg making in Batley Library.

Vintage Day organisers are supporting Batley Food Bank, and urge visitors to bring tinned goods to drop off in the workshop area.