Lantern parade shines a light on Knowle West

It may be a grey day in Knowle West, but the Filwood Fantastic Lantern Parade is about to begin and bound to brighten things up a bit.

For the parade, there’s a giant heart-shaped lantern, and on it are names of Knowle West residents who have passed away over the last few months. There’s also a huge star-shaped lantern, and on this are faces of local people who have gone above and beyond to help others during the Covid-19 pandemic. In between are paper bag lanterns that almost look like they’re floating in the air. These feature the faces of children from the local Christ the King and Greenfield E-Act primary schools, who have helped make them.

The parade is themed around the local Walk of Hearts & Stars. Inspired by the Hollywood Walk of Fame, this is launching on the same night as the parade and pays tribute to people from Knowle West, both past and present.

Alan May worked with local schools to make the lanterns for the parade. Photo by Charlie Watts

Alan May of Arts Enlarge has led the lantern making for the parade, which he also does for the Bedminster Winter Lantern Parades.

“There’s a kind of magic about lights,” Alan says. “I love celebrations and this is a way of bringing children together to make things and then show these to the people who live near them.”

The parade starts off in the Filwood Community Centre courtyard, where stars have been put on top of poles along a path. These were painted by local people in a workshop by Knowle West Media Centre’s KWMC: The Factory. They even glow in the dark, having been fitted with solar panels by Art and Energy.

28 stars dazzle in the Filwood Community Centre courtyard. Photo by Charlie Watts

The Ambling Band – a sextet tonight – lead the parade outside the community centre onto Filwood Broadway, where the re:store charity shop window has been decorated with hearts. These were knitted by local resident Julie Atkinson, and fairy lights around them make them stand out in the darkness.

The procession then makes its way around the streets of Knowle West, illuminating the night sky. Usually, there would be a crowd following it. But tonight, people are being asked to stay at home and instead enjoy the event from their doorsteps and windows.

32 hearts brighten up the re:store charity shop window on Filwood Broadway. Photo by Charlie Watts

This is the third Filwood Fantastic Lantern Parade to take place. The first was this time last year, while another took place earlier in 2020, before the lockdown. But for Carolyn Hassan, the director of Knowle West Media Centre who’s helping to carry one of the lanterns tonight, the parade brings back memories of the Knowle West winter carnivals of the late 1980s and early 90s.

“Alan I used to work on them,” she recalls. “In those days we used to have big flatbed trucks and it was more carnival-like with lots and lots of majorettes. But it’s just great, remembering all of that.”

As tonight’s lantern parade takes to the streets of Knowle West, curtains start to twitch and doors creak open as local people try to get a glimpse at what all the fuss is about. Residents’ faces light up when they figure out what’s going on, and families gather in their front gardens to cheer on the parade as it goes down their street.

Thanks to everyone for supporting the #FilwoodFantastic ‘stay at home’ lantern parade in Knowle West tonight, marking the launch of the Walk of Hearts & Stars! ❤️⭐️ pic.twitter.com/fYAIjTwWcS

— Filwood Community Centre (@FilwoodCentre) October 29, 2020

Arthur Holt is another one of the lantern carriers tonight, and says the parade really is “fantastic.”

“One lady came up to me and asked what it was about,” he says. “So I told her what it was about, and she said it made her night.”

The parade is grabbing a lot of people’s attention, and someone can be heard shouting “come down our road!” as it proceeds along the path. Children in their pyjamas watch on in wonder and wave at the parade as it passes them. One person tries to keep up with it by bike, while another starts dancing along the street.

The lanterns show off local children’s creativity. Photo by Ibolya Feher

Suzie Davison is also part of the parade, and jokes that taking part in it has been “good exercise.”

“With our heart remembering people, there were some grandkids and they saw their nan’s name on there, so that was really nice,” she says.

The parade, having done a loop around Knowle West, finishes back at where it started: Filwood Community Centre. The band and lantern carriers, all with big smiles on their faces, say their goodbyes to each other, knowing they’ve brightened up many people’s nights.

The parade brings Knowle West to life with light. Photo by Charlie Watts

Alan, still buzzing from the event, sums it up: “I think it was a great success, it was exactly what I imagined it to be,” he says. “It’s just so lovely to see families and people of all ages coming out, hanging out their windows and recognising names or faces on the lanterns.”

“‘We’ll do it again and it’ll be bigger, better and brighter!”

Charlie Watts is reporting on Knowle West as part of Bristol24/7’s community reporter scheme, a pilot project which aims to tell stories from areas of Bristol traditionally under-served by the mainstream media

Main photo by Charlie Watts 

Read more: Knowle West to get its own walk of fame