Gloucester Day: Community costume unveiled for first time

Voices Gloucester Ambassador Tia Callum

A unique costume created by a local community has been unveiled as part of a city's parade today.

The Costume for Gloucester was shown to the public for the first time as part of the Gloucester Day celebrations.

More than 100 people, including members of community groups and other partner organisations, worked to embroider the costume.

Councillor Andrew Lewis, cabinet member for culture and leisure said it was a "fantastic event" to celebrate.

The costume was designed by local costumier Katie Taylor to showcase the city's heritage and its creation was organised by Voices Gloucester in collaboration with Gloucester Cathedral.

On Saturday it was worn by Voices Gloucester ambassador Tia Callum and showed different parts of the city's history in each embroidered section.

The costume was created to celebrate the city's heritage

Gloucester Day is an annual celebration to celebrate the towns history and sees streets come alive with stalls and a parade.

The event is the reinstatement of the original Gloucester Day, a day of celebration on the lifting of the siege of Gloucester, in 1643.

The annual celebration is organised by Gloucester's town crier Alan Myatt and supported by Gloucester City Council.

Two parades have taken place, the first, led by the Mock Mayor of Barton, started at 11.00 BST and processed from Constitution walk through the streets before ending in Kings Square.

There was then a meeting of the Mock Mayor of Barton and the Mayor of Gloucester, Councillor Kathy Williams, at a ceremony attended by Richard Graham MP.

The costume was paraded through the streets of Gloucester

Another parade happened at 14.00 BST making its way through the city led by the Mayor accompanied by the Sheriff of Gloucester, Councillor Justin Hudson, in full Civic Regalia.

Gloucester MP Richard Graham said: "This year's Gloucester Day's Mock Mayor making and speeches will be in Kings Square for the first time since Alan Myatt brought back the tradition in 2009.

He added that this year's day recognised several improvements the city had benefited from, including the new University of Gloucestershire City Campus.

"What all of this symbolises is a spirit of resilience, commitment and can do - exactly how Gloucester avoided disaster and destruction in August 1643 and how Gloucester Hartpury won the Premier trophy earlier this summer.

"This is Gloucester and our day to celebrate."