Chesterfield’s annual ecumenical Procession of Witness (‘Whit Walk’) processed through the town on the May Bank Holiday Monday with banners flying and brass band playing after a gap of four years due to the pandemic. St Andrew’s was there in force, with the church banner carried by Mike and Poppy at the head of our contingent. The blue and yellow flags of Ukraine were prominent in solidarity, along with the Pentecost fire colour of red.
Rose Hill URC led the procession with their banner and a float demonstrating the theme of King of Kings, with the empty cross in the centre and earthly crowns cast down before it. This was Rose Hill’s last time in the procession as their 200 year old building will sadly close later this year due to serious structural problems.
We began with a short outdoor act of worship in front of the Town Hall and then progressed to the market place where there was a pause while the band played several hymn tunes. It ended back at the Town Hall after passing Rose Hill where the band was playing again after nipping up a back street to regroup. After a final hymn and prayer participants were invited to share tea and coffee served in Rose Hill and view the photographs and displays celebrating their life and witness over 200 years.
The Procession of Witness goes back to 1850 and is one of the few remaining Whit Walks, which once drew the local Sunday Schools together with children in their new clothes on floats with biblical displays in long processions through town centres in the many industrial towns and cities of the north of England.
