IF YOU were in St Helen’s Square today, you might just have spotted a few people dancing with angels.
Eco angels, that is – made out of recycled material by residents of Hartrigg Oaks in York.
Each Angel was about five feet high, and made from chocolate wrappings, silver foil, bits of old pill packaging – and anything the Hartrigg Oaks residents could lay their hands on.
The project was supported by Parkinson’s UK – and today the angels were all on glorious display in front of the Mansion House as part of a seties of activities for the International Day of Older People organised by the York Older People’s Assembly.
So appealing were the angels that many people couldn’t resist dancing with them – including at one point the Lord Mayor of York Cllr Chris Cullwick and his wife Joy.
The eco angels weren’t the only slightly odd thing you may have spotted in York today.
In the little terraced garden next to the York Theatre Royal, you might have been lucky enough to see a lone cyclist pedalling away inside a small marquee – and going precisely nowhere.
It wasn't wasted effort, though. That cyclist was powering a projector which was showing a unique new film about the changing face of York – starring the city’s older people.
Among the stars of the film were former Lord Mayor Janet Looker, a retired bricklayer named Jim – and an elderly woman talking about how her mum used to speculate about the marvels we’d see in York one day in the future.
“She's a lady who saw a TV for the first time at the Coroonation in 1953,’” said Nick Jones, the 60-something cyclist who was powering the film when The Press visited just before 1pm.
"And she's saying that her mum once said to her 'in future you will be able to flick a switch and talk to people all over the world'." She goes on in the film to add, with reference to her mum, 'we all thought she was mad!', Nick said.
The film was shot at both the Castle Museum and in Museum Gardens. And at one point it features former Lord Mayor Mrs Looker talking about how the everyday things we take for granted today might well be museum pieces in 50 years time.
Well, the Castle Museum itself is full of once-everyday objects that have become just that…
Also taking place today were artist-led art classes for young and old alike at York Art Gallery.
Dianne Willcocks of the York Older People’s Assembly said all three events – the art classes, eco angels in St Helen’s Square and the bicycle-powered film celebrating the way York has changed – were part of York’s celebrations for the International Day of Older People, and also formed part of the ongoing York 50+ Festival.
And the good news is that, if you missed the film today, you’ll still be able to catch it tomorrow.
Not at the Theatre Royal, and not, on Sunday, pedal powered.
Instead, it will be the focus of an event at York Central Library.
There will be information stalls and stands, too – but from 11.30 on Sunday morning, if you want, you’ll be able to sit and watch York’s older generation talking, with mingled wonder and surprise, at just how much the city we all love has changed in their lifetime…
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