FIVE sisters and their brother are planning to keep the Warrington Walking Day tradition alive by carrying out their own Walk of Witness on Friday, July 3rd, and inviting others to join them.
Patricia, Pauline, Maria, Bernadette, and Carmel, nee Mckeown and their brother, Patrick Mckeown, will set off from Bank Park at 10 am.
The unofficial walk will take place 24 hours before an official celebration event co-ordinated by local churches and Warrington Borough Council.
Ahead of the event, the family contacted local churches to advise they were planning to organise a walk, but only received a response from one, stating they were not in charge of organising walking day.
Three members of Warrington Pipe Band have offered to lead the group, which will be walking through the pedestrianised parts of Warrington town centre, commencing at Bank Park, Midland Way entrance. They will be walking in groups of 6-8, following the usual route across the town hall steps, down Springfield Street, into Queen’s Gardens, along Museum Street, up to Bridge Street, onto Horse Market Street, finishing at or in The Hop Pole public house.
The family members decided to organise their own Walk of Witness in response to the borough council’s decision to cancel this year’s traditional event to save £70,000 in organisational and road closure costs, which caused a public outcry.
In response, a special heritage event, led by Warrington Parish Church, will take place at the town hall but will be restricted to Bank Park.
It is hoped to extend the event next year to include a walk around the town centre.
A Facebook group called Save Warrington Walking Day also has over 500 members.
