Morley St George's Day Parade live updates and pictures from the celebrations
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The market town in south Leeds started hosting a weekend of St George’s Day celebrations – with the parade being the highlight – in 2005. The event is believed to be the biggest such celebration in the country and celebrates England’s patron saint. According to legend, St George was a soldier in the Roman army who killed a dragon and saved a princess.
The 2023 parade was led by a performer on horseback dressed as the legendary saint, with patriotic supporters from Morley’s schools, clubs and sports teams following behind. It set off from outside Morley Town Hall in Queen Street and made its way to Morley Rugby Club where oaths were taken and the national anthem was sung.
See our live blog below for events as they happened, footage from the parade and pictures of the celebrations.
Morley hosts huge St George’s Day parade as the town comes together to celebrate
Key Events
Morley prepares to host St George’s Day parade
Thousands of people are expected to line the streets of Morley today as the town hosts its annual St George’s Day parade. The colourful procession will be led by a performer on horseback dressed as the legendary saint, with around 1,000 patriotic supporters from Morley’s schools, clubs and sports teams following behind.
Civic dignitaries like the Lord Lieutenant and the Lord Mayor will be in attendance, joining revellers after the march for a dramatic jousting performance in which rival knights will do battle for the second year running. As always, there will be a variety of stalls, fairground rides and re-enactments.
We’ll be sharing updates from the parade throughout the day for those who can’t make it along to the celebrations themselves.
Eight pictures that show why Morley is one of the country’s most patriotic towns
These pictures from previous St George’s Day parades will give you an idea of what to expect if you’ve not been along before.
Where is the parade being held?
The parade will begin outside Morley Town Hall in Queen Street and proceed through the town centre before reaching the rugby and cricket clubs in Scatcherd Lane. There will be stalls on the rugby club’s field, while the adjoining cricket field will host most of the fairground rides and the birds of prey.
A specially set-up jousting arena will see knights from the House of Lancaster battle for glory against the House of York. Nearby, re-enactments spanning more than 1,000 years will take visitors back to a Viking Camp in 900AD and a World War II battlefield.
When does the parade get going?
The parade is due to set off at 11.30am, with Corporation Road to be closed while the procession heads through the town centre. When it arrives at Scatcherd Lane, there will be an ‘oath taking’ ceremony followed by a rugby display and a magic workshop.
Children will be able to enjoy watching birds of prey soaring through the air in an expert-led show, while the adults may be more interested in the WWII display and a circus workshop.
Who was St George?
St George’s Day honours the patron saint of England. You may be familiar with the name St George purely for the name of the well-known white and red crossed England flag.
The early figure has long been hailed as a national hero, and over the last 1,600 years, many noble stories have been told about him. According to legends, St George was a knight who bravely slayed a fire-breathing dragon.
The exact details of late England’s patron’s life are not known. However, he is believed to have been a real person who lived through the third and fourth centuries. It may surprise some to hear that he was not born in England. Instead, the saint was thought to hail from Cappadocia, a historical region of Turkey.
You can read more here about why St George’s Day is celebrated.
Your reflections on St George’s Day
We spoke to Leeds residents about the Georges in their lives and what they think about St George’s Day. Watch the video here
Parade participants starting to gather
There’s around 30 minutes to go until the parade sets off but our reporter Tom Coates says spectators and participants are already starting to gather in the town centre.
‘They always get a good turnout'
Crowds are continuing to gather as the start of the parade draws nearer.
Attendee Elisa Draper said: “I haven’t been before. It’s really busy - a great turnout so far. It puts it on the map.”
Valerie Jackson attends the parade every year and said: “It’s a great event - they put these special occasions on and they always get a good turnout.”
Band entertains the crowds
A brass band has been entertaining the crowds as they wait for the parade to begin. Spectators have also caught a glimpse of some of the re-enactors involved in today’s festivities as they start to get into position for the procession.
