2013 Purple Parade Summary

The Day started with me sharing the following video message for International Women's Day from the UN's Women's Executive Director ~ Michelle Bachelet

The slowly started to get ready for the day... 

A group of 8 - 10 of US gathered at the statue  "The Kiss"adjacent to Victoria Station... with all the parader's assembled, we set of for our discrete and modest parade down the High Street and along the The Esplanade Hotel, Eastern Esplanade at a little before 11.15am... By 12.10pm we had arrived at The Esplanade Hotel for the Parade after-party which included a stunning performance by the Yardarm Folk Orchestra, a recital of poetry and verse by Cherry Scott, and excellent conversation about the history of the day and why in our view International Women's Day is so important and should be celebrated... Ideas were shared as to making next years parade bigger and better with participants and contributors making a commitments  to participate in the 2014 event.

At 2.30pm we settled down for hearty pub-lunch at the Estuary Hotel and we all went home some 90 minutes later, satisfied that although there were only 25 of us celebrating we were there and had a great time... and something had happened to celebrate International Women's day in Southend. 

So here's to next year!...

Below follows a few photos of the after party.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.554011994630777&type=1

The Purple Parade is an Anna Heim Community Collaboration and is produced by Anna M. Heim as part of her ongoing independent community development activities. Anna had been on the Turning Tides IWD Planning Committee from 2009 to 2011 at which time the Turning Tides Committee disbanded as each of the member pursued other community based projects within the Borough of Southend-on-Sea and Turning Tides metamorphosed into a new type of organisation, and sadly with no scope for this event... 

The Purple Parade as produced by Anna has the blessing of the former committee, which Anna and her former colleagues Chris Sternshine and Jane Sealy hope will reform in some fashion in the not too distant future. 

In 2012, without a licence or insurance and minimal publicity - Anna and a few of her friends and colleague paraded down the centre of the Southend High Street to Pier Hill... dressed in purple and with a banner announcing the parade to Saturday morning shoppers - the parade group were welcomed to whoops and cheers as the two groups came together to celebrating International Women's day in Royal Square 

We (The Purple Paraders') then headed off to Utopia Coffee Lounge for refreshments before dispersing...

From the feedback - the 3 Way Split Project is working on producing a bigger and better event in partnership with the women of Southend for 2013...

The 2013 IWD Purple Parade Southend will be held on

Saturday 9th March 2013

The Meeting Place: Southend Victoria Station ~ The Plaza

Meeting Time: 10am

Parade Start Time: 10.15am

Women and girls of all ages and the men who love the women in their lives and support them are invited to wear at least one item of Purple clothing and parade with us in celebration of the achievements of the women and girls of Southend-on-Sea...

You will be able to join the parade at any point along the direct route down the High Street, to the Pier. We are also planning an After Parade Event

If you are interested in talking part in this annual event and would like to participate please do not hesitate to contact  anna@annaheimonline.com for more information - please "FOLLOW" and share this blog.