New Year's Day Parade
Encyclopedia
The New Year's Day Parade is a parade through the streets of the West End of London
, which takes place annually on 1 January. The first year the parade took place was 1987, as the Lord Mayor of Westminster's Big Parade. The parade was renamed in 1994 and for 2000 only it was renamed the Millennium Parade.
is the biggest New Year's Day street event of its kind. The parade is used to raise funds for charities in London
and representatives from each of the 32 London borough
s are encouraged to take part as a 'borough entry' which are judged as part of the event. The winning entry in the 2009 parade was the London Borough of Merton
. The parade is also used to honour people from each borough who have been heroic in some way during the previous year. Every year BBC London
holds a competition to find two talented young musicians to travel to the United States
and play with an American high school marching band, both in America and in the London Parade. The parade dates back to the 1920s to celebrate the special relationship
between England and the USA.
The 2 mile (3.2 km) parade route begins at Parliament Square
in Westminster
and continues along Parliament Street
and Whitehall
to Trafalgar Square
. It then continues along Cockspur Street
and Regent Street
. The final section is along Piccadilly
and the parade ends at Green Park
. The parade attracts around a million spectators, and there is ticket-only seating at the start and end of the route.
in Piccadilly and finishing at Parliament Square. The revised route is now:
The decision to reverse the route was taken to "appease US television broadcasters" and to "give the American audience the best views of the capital's landmarks, such as Big Ben and Trafalgar Square."
, directed by Alan Hunt, and the vocal ensemble from the same school, marched in the 2007 parade. This was the second year that they had participated in the event. The vocal ensemble was also honored by being asked to start the parade off by singing the British national anthem
. The 140-member marching band from Fort Myers High School in Florida
, USA, were initially banned from taking part in the 2007 parade because US education officials feared they may be caught in a terrorist attack. The decision was later overruled. The school also hosted the two winners of that year's BBC London competition.
Other American high school groups to perform included the Aberdeen High School Marching Eagle, from Aberdeen, Maryland, the Troy High School marching band from Troy, Michigan, which placed fourth out of the numerous marching bands competing from Europe and the United States, the Deep Run Marching Wildcats
of Glen Allen
, VA
, and Turpin High School marching band, from Cincinnati, Ohio.
Over 200 Scouts from across London took part in the 2007 Parade. The scouts were led by the Enfield District Scout Band. This is the first time that London scouts from the 6 different counties have got together to do something which publicises scouting to such a large audience. They started the UK's 2007 Centenary of Scouting Celebrations. London's town crier is also part of the parade.
West End of London
The West End of London is an area of central London, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, shops, businesses, government buildings, and entertainment . Use of the term began in the early 19th century to describe fashionable areas to the west of Charing Cross...
, which takes place annually on 1 January. The first year the parade took place was 1987, as the Lord Mayor of Westminster's Big Parade. The parade was renamed in 1994 and for 2000 only it was renamed the Millennium Parade.
Organization
The London paradeParade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
is the biggest New Year's Day street event of its kind. The parade is used to raise funds for charities in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
and representatives from each of the 32 London borough
London borough
The administrative area of Greater London contains thirty-two London boroughs. Inner London comprises twelve of these boroughs plus the City of London. Outer London comprises the twenty remaining boroughs of Greater London.-Functions:...
s are encouraged to take part as a 'borough entry' which are judged as part of the event. The winning entry in the 2009 parade was the London Borough of Merton
London Borough of Merton
The London Borough of Merton is a borough in southwest London, England.The borough was formed under the London Government Act in 1965 by the merger of the Municipal Borough of Mitcham, the Municipal Borough of Wimbledon and the Merton and Morden Urban District, all formerly within Surrey...
. The parade is also used to honour people from each borough who have been heroic in some way during the previous year. Every year BBC London
BBC London
BBC London is the BBC English Region producing local radio, television, teletext and online services in London and parts of the surrounding area. Its output includes the daily BBC London News and the weekly Politics Show on television, the BBC London 94.9 radio station and local coverage of the...
holds a competition to find two talented young musicians to travel to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and play with an American high school marching band, both in America and in the London Parade. The parade dates back to the 1920s to celebrate the special relationship
Special relationship
The Special Relationship is a phrase used to describe the exceptionally close political, diplomatic, cultural, economic, military and historical relations between the United Kingdom and the United States, following its use in a 1946 speech by British statesman Winston Churchill...
between England and the USA.
The 2 mile (3.2 km) parade route begins at Parliament Square
Parliament Square
Parliament Square is a square outside the northwest end of the Palace of Westminster in London. It features a large open green area in the middle, with a group of trees to its west. It contains statues of famous statesmen and is the scene of rallies and protests, as well as being a tourist...
in Westminster
City of Westminster
The City of Westminster is a London borough occupying much of the central area of London, England, including most of the West End. It is located to the west of and adjoining the ancient City of London, directly to the east of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and its southern boundary...
and continues along Parliament Street
Parliament Street
Parliament Street is the name of several places including:*Parliament Street, Exeter, one of the world's narrowest streets in Exeter, England...
and Whitehall
Whitehall
Whitehall is a road in Westminster, in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards Charing Cross at the southern end of Trafalgar Square...
to Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square
Trafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, England, United Kingdom. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of...
. It then continues along Cockspur Street
Cockspur Street
Cockspur Street is a short thoroughfare in the City of Westminster, London, which links Trafalgar Square to Pall Mall, The Haymarket and Pall Mall East. On 29 June 2007, a car containing significant amounts of explosives was found on Cockspur Street. It did not detonate...
and Regent Street
Regent Street
Regent Street is one of the major shopping streets in London's West End, well known to tourists and Londoners alike, and famous for its Christmas illuminations...
. The final section is along Piccadilly
Piccadilly
Piccadilly is a major street in central London, running from Hyde Park Corner in the west to Piccadilly Circus in the east. It is completely within the city of Westminster. The street is part of the A4 road, London's second most important western artery. St...
and the parade ends at Green Park
Green Park
-External links:*...
. The parade attracts around a million spectators, and there is ticket-only seating at the start and end of the route.
New route 2010
The parade route has been reversed from 2010 with the event now starting at the Ritz HotelRitz Hotel
The Ritz London is a luxury 5-star hotel located in Piccadilly and overlooking Green Park in London.- History :Swiss hotelier César Ritz, former manager of the Savoy Hotel, opened the hotel on 24 May 1906...
in Piccadilly and finishing at Parliament Square. The revised route is now:
- Leave the Ritz Hotel, head along Piccadilly to Piccadilly CircusPiccadilly CircusPiccadilly Circus is a road junction and public space of London's West End in the City of Westminster, built in 1819 to connect Regent Street with the major shopping street of Piccadilly...
, down Regent StreetRegent StreetRegent Street is one of the major shopping streets in London's West End, well known to tourists and Londoners alike, and famous for its Christmas illuminations...
, then along Pall MallPall Mall, LondonPall Mall is a street in the City of Westminster, London, and parallel to The Mall, from St. James's Street across Waterloo Place to the Haymarket; while Pall Mall East continues into Trafalgar Square. The street is a major thoroughfare in the St James's area of London, and a section of the...
to Trafalgar SquareTrafalgar SquareTrafalgar Square is a public space and tourist attraction in central London, England, United Kingdom. At its centre is Nelson's Column, which is guarded by four lion statues at its base. There are a number of statues and sculptures in the square, with one plinth displaying changing pieces of...
, along WhitehallWhitehallWhitehall is a road in Westminster, in London, England. It is the main artery running north from Parliament Square, towards Charing Cross at the southern end of Trafalgar Square...
and end up in Parliament SquareParliament SquareParliament Square is a square outside the northwest end of the Palace of Westminster in London. It features a large open green area in the middle, with a group of trees to its west. It contains statues of famous statesmen and is the scene of rallies and protests, as well as being a tourist...
.
The decision to reverse the route was taken to "appease US television broadcasters" and to "give the American audience the best views of the capital's landmarks, such as Big Ben and Trafalgar Square."
2007 parade
The 240-member Walker Valley High School Band from Cleveland, TennesseeCleveland, Tennessee
Cleveland is a city in Bradley County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 41,285 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Bradley County...
, directed by Alan Hunt, and the vocal ensemble from the same school, marched in the 2007 parade. This was the second year that they had participated in the event. The vocal ensemble was also honored by being asked to start the parade off by singing the British national anthem
God Save the Queen
"God Save the Queen" is an anthem used in a number of Commonwealth realms and British Crown Dependencies. The words of the song, like its title, are adapted to the gender of the current monarch, with "King" replacing "Queen", "he" replacing "she", and so forth, when a king reigns...
. The 140-member marching band from Fort Myers High School in Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
, USA, were initially banned from taking part in the 2007 parade because US education officials feared they may be caught in a terrorist attack. The decision was later overruled. The school also hosted the two winners of that year's BBC London competition.
Other American high school groups to perform included the Aberdeen High School Marching Eagle, from Aberdeen, Maryland, the Troy High School marching band from Troy, Michigan, which placed fourth out of the numerous marching bands competing from Europe and the United States, the Deep Run Marching Wildcats
Deep Run Marching Wildcats
The Deep Run Marching Wildcats is the marching band of Deep Run High School in Glen Allen, VA. The band was founded with the opening of Deep Run High School in 2002. Beginning in 2003, while the band was under the direction of Frank S. Chlorie, the band was named a VBODA Virginia Honor Band each...
of Glen Allen
Glen Allen, Virginia
Glen Allen is a census-designated place in Henrico County, Virginia, United States. The population was 12,562 at the 2000 census.-Geography:...
, VA
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
, and Turpin High School marching band, from Cincinnati, Ohio.
Over 200 Scouts from across London took part in the 2007 Parade. The scouts were led by the Enfield District Scout Band. This is the first time that London scouts from the 6 different counties have got together to do something which publicises scouting to such a large audience. They started the UK's 2007 Centenary of Scouting Celebrations. London's town crier is also part of the parade.
External links
- New Year's Day Parade - London
- Greater London North Jamboree Unit UK 31 - Scouts taking part in the 2007 Parade