Children's Day to return to Leeds for the first time since the 1960s

Children's Day began in 1922 and was held every year.

Pupils from just about every school in Leeds congregated in Roundhay Park arena for dancing, displays and sports.

There was a Children's Day Queen and attendants, a fancy dress parade and a bonny baby competition.

It was suspended because of the Second World War and did not run again for six years.

The return on July 6, 1946 was something of a special occasion for the city.

The Yorkshire Evening Post devoted several pages to the event, including a full page of pictures.

At its height, Children’s Day, held in Roundhay Park, attracted crowds of up to 100,000.

The event ran until 1963, when it was finally ended following a series of wet summer and a general fall in the number of people who came to watch and take part in the event.

At the Leeds City Council budget meeting on Wednesday, February 23, it was announced that as part of plans to mark the ten-year anniversary of the launch of Child Friendly Leeds, work would be undertaken with schools as well as cultural and sporting organisations to redesign Children’s Day for the 21st Century.

Leader of Leeds City Council, Councillor James Lewis said that the event would build on the city’s heritage of putting children at the forefront of its cultural identity and would include multiple events made with, by and for children and young people.

Councillor James Lewis said: “It is hard to believe that it is ten years since Child Friendly Leeds was launched by Her Majesty The Queen during her Diamond Jubilee year and yet we can see just how much we have achieved for children and young people during that time.

“We have made putting children and young people at the centre of everything we do part of our heritage and cultural identity and bringing back Children’s Day will cement that even further.

“The crown that was presented to the last Queen of Children’s Day is still proudly on display at the Civic Hall and it is time it as brought back into our programme of events.”

A full programme announcement will be made on September 23.

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