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The Santa Parade of Warkworth will be held on Saturday, December 13, a tradition that dates back many years, although it was not always held annually. One Mahurangi Business Association has accepted float registrations from a range of community groups and businesses across Warkworth and Wellsford this year, especially as there is no Wellsford parade. Large numbers of the community will be involved and turn out on the day.
In the past, there were Santa Claus parades held during the 1960s, sometimes even on Christmas Eve.
These events were organised by the Warkworth Businesses Association. Their minutes record outward correspondence to the Warkworth Bandmaster, Mr R.S. Chessum, inviting the Warkworth Brass Band to work alongside volunteers from Rotary, Lions and Jaycees. The town band would lead the parade, which in 1969 was to include marching girls. The band also played for the annual lighting of the Norfolk pine outside the Warkworth Establishment Hotel.
The brass band received payments for these events, which assisted with the maintenance of instruments, uniforms and band room facilities. For instance, they received three guineas for playing at the 1960 Christmas Tree Function. The Warkworth Big Band, the current continuation of this local musical group, is a flourishing, positive and talented group of musicians who are currently fundraising to renovate and improve the Warkworth band room on Church Hill. Donations can be made to their Give A Little page. Their band room is half of an original schoolroom from Warkworth School in Percy Street moved to its present spot in 1960.
Further afield, many local people still attend the Farmers Santa Parade in Auckland. In 1969 and 1970, the Warkworth Silver Brass Band played for the parade in Auckland – this was a combination of members of Warkworth Brass Band and the Albertlander’s Silver Band.
A simpler method of spreading Christmas cheer was carolling, which often took place around Warkworth township. In 1958, the Brass Band was granted permission by the town board to play Christmas carols in Warkworth and collect donations as they travelled. Bandmaster William Chessum was assisted by local farmer Roger Langridge and his Bedford hay-truck for easy transportation of the band. Barbara Langridge recalls the cows getting very excited by the brass band music, wildly running around the paddocks adjoining the corner of McKinney and Thompson Roads, near the present-day museum, which was one of the band stops on the circuit of the town.
Christmas through the years has similar threads – planning and preparing for the big day, local events of note, thinking of others and how to bring joy to those in need, a time of good cheer with family at Christmas, followed by a summertime of rest and relaxation.
On behalf of Warkworth Museum, we wish all our visitors, supporters and our wonderful team of volunteers a very Merry Christmas.
