Hundreds join in with Whitchurch celebrations - in photos and video

Party in the Park returned to Whitchurch as part of the Worldwide Whitchurch celebrations.

Events kicked off on Friday with a bring and share supper in the civic centre at 6pm where town mayor Councillor Tony Neville made an address, including a live link to the mayor of Whitchurch-Stouffville in Canada.

The evening finished at 10pm after performances by Maggie May’s Academy of Dance, Fauls Singers and Whitchurch Community Choir.

Saturday included the makers and farmers’ markets, while there was an all-age rounders tournament on the Jubilee Park football pitch at 10am as part of the Party in the Park event.

The event also included music from Hazah, Vodka Jellies, Lilly Boughey, Paul Henshaw and the Scientific Simpletons, The Grove and The Losing Score.

Whitchurch Heritage Centre was open all day, as well as the Masonic Hall where an organ recital was held.

On Sunday the Worldwide Whitchurch event drew to a close with a brunch at 12pm.

And at 12.30pm the pennant was passed on to the next host of the event, while Councillor Neville oversaw the closing ceremony.

The inaugural Worldwide Whitchurch Weekend was held in 2015 in Whitchurch, Hampshire and involved communities from England and Wales.

Up to 13 Whitchurch communities from all over the world attended.

All communities who attended had their place name of Whitchurch in common – a name deriving from the name White Church, one of the most common titles for a town or village in the country.

Speaking on Saturday, Councillor Neville said: "It is going great. There are people everywhere and everyone seems to be enjoying themselves.

"The amount of people here is unbelievable, obviously the good weather has helped.

"There are a lot of people down at Jubilee Park and we have got the the big market also.

"I know a lot of people have come from Whitchurch in Hampshire today."

Meanwhile, a national truck show also returned to the town for another year at the weekend.

The Peak Truck Show was held at Whitchurch Rugby Club on Edgeley Road on Saturday and Sunday.

The show is orientated around drivers and their trucks which they take great pride in, as for the majority of them their trucks are their home during the week.