Torchlight procession Halstead 2023
Halstead’s annual torchlight procession will take place this year on the evening of 6 December, starting from Market Hill in the town centre at around 18.30. This tradition has been a highlight of the winter months in Halstead for more than 40 years, and has grown in popularity in particular since the lockdown years. Last year around 1000 people attended, 800 of them carrying flaming wax torches.
Halstead Town council runs this event, with the help of its own staff, and volunteers from Braintree District Council, the Templars Rugby club and Halstead in Bloom. There has been growing concern over the last few years over the number of torches and the increased risk of fire. For such events Halstead Town Council must prepare a risk assessment to ensure that it is safe to run the event.
If you have to come by car please park in Chapel St, Butler Road or Weavers’ court car parks. There will be no parking on the High Street. Better still come on foot.
For those planning to attend the event, HTC would like to clarify the measures it is taking to ensure the safety of everyone attending:
- Torches are free of charge. You may make a donation to the Mayor’s chosen charities if you wish
- Children under 16 must never hold a flaming torch. If a child is seen to be holding a torch, this will be taken away from them
- All torches will be lit by HTC groundsmen. Do not attempt to light your own
- Those attending are asked to collect their torch from the raised area by the old post office and then to wait to be called forward to a line across the road for torches to be lit
- There will be a rolling road closure so that each line holding torches can spread out across the road
- Please hold your torch steadily in an upright position, and walk at a safe distance from the line in front of you, once your torch has been lit
- The fire service will be in attendance
- The petrol station will be fenced off during the event to ensure no risk of fire
- The police will be in attendance to divert traffic which might otherwise be held up by the procession
- When you get to the Public Gardens, please dowse your torch in the wheelie bins provided – this is to avoid people getting close to others with flaming torches when gathered around the bandstand
- In case of fire, the Lidl car park is the designated assembly point for the Public Gardens
- There will be many marshals identifiable by their hi-vis jackets. If you have a problem during the event, please raise it with one of the marshals
