Harleston celebration day showcases town with day of family fun

Brilliant sunshine acted as a perfect backdrop to a day of celebration in Harleston on Saturday.

A sea of stalls set up home in the Market Place, as families descended on the town centre for an event to mark the conclusion of a £1 million investment programme.

Organised by Redenhall with Harleston Town Council, visitors were treated to entertainment from bubble and balloon magicians, medieval combat training, stilt walkers and fire-breathing.

For children, there was face-painting, hair-braiding and temporary tattoos.

South Norfolk councillor Lisa Neal said it was a fitting culmination to the work, which set out to give visitors an improved experience of sightseeing, shopping, meeting friends and eating out.

“We are very proud of our market towns and our vibrant local economy,” she said. “We understand that it’s the unique characteristics of our market towns that help to make south Norfolk such a wonderful place to live and visit.

“We also understand the importance of supporting our businesses and this was the latest in a series of investments that we have made into our market towns.”

The scheme, which was primarily funded by the county and district council, sought to future-proof the prosperity of Harleston and its businesses.

Its main aim was to make the town more attractive to pedestrians by enhancing and improving the open spaces and pavements, while reducing and slowing traffic along The Thoroughfare, Exchange Street and Broad Street.