The organiser of the historic Torcher Parade in Aberdeen has arranged a day to allow people in the city to remember the event which was cancelled after more than 100 years.
Holly Bruce, the president for charities and communities at the Aberdeen University Student’s Association, also vowed last night to maintain her fight to bring back the parade.
It was cancelled after Aberdeen City Council refused AUSA’s application for a licence because there were insufficient staff to carry out traffic management.
Instead, on Sunday, May 15, there will be a day dedicated to remembering the historic event which ran for 126 years in Aberdeen.
In the morning there will be a family fun day outside Elphinstone Hall where people will be allowed to construct a float in the style of those seen at the Torcher Parade and also enjoy a bouncy castle, face paints, a barbecue and ice cream.
The evening will offer live music, while speakers have been booked to share their memories of the parade.
Representatives from 36 north-east charities have also signed up to light a torch and Ms Bruce spoke of her desire to preserve the legacy of the event.
She said: “I believe it’s incredibly important to play tribute to the Torcher Parade, it is an Aberdeen tradition that has been much-loved for many years.
“It was a chance for the community and students to come together and celebrate Aberdeen in all its glory. And it also helped raise crucial money for local charities within the City and Shire.
“It pains me that the parade did not go ahead this year, but hopefully, these events will ensure it is not forgotten.
She also spoke of her ongoing fight to preserve the Torcher, in asserting: “A stakeholders meeting is being held in the next couple of weeks to discuss its reinvention.
“So it’s certainly not over, more a closure of one chapter and the opening of another.”
