30,000 flock to Bradford's new light show in city centre (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)
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30,000 flock to Bradford's new light show in city centre
7:00am Tuesday 9th October 2012 in News
By Jo Winrow, City Hall Reporter
30,000 flock to Bradford's new light show
An array of huge light sculptures in Bradford’s City Park are proving popular and have attracted about 30,000 people in the three nights since the event began on Friday.
Bradford Council, which has organised the Garden of Light, has estimated the number that have to marvel at the light installations in the six-acre park.
Saturday evening was particularly busy with 12,500 people enjoying the illuminated garden and street theatre.
The event is also attracting a broad range of people, according to the authority, from families with very young children, teenagers and the elderly, have all flocked to the outdoor event.
In addition the outdoor seating area next to the light sculptures is proving very popular with hundreds of people dining out on takeaway food from businesses and their special menus.
The Garden of Light features 24 light sculptures, some of which are over 11 metres tall. The installations are the brainchild of French master light artists, TILT, who combine LED, fibre-optic, tungsten and fluorescent lights with modern and recycled materials to produce subtle, dreamlike atmospheres.
Councillor Susan Hinchcliffe, the Council’s portfolio holder for employment, skills and culture, said the authority was extremely pleased with the success of the event.
She said: “We are delighted that Garden of Light is proving so popular.
“TILT and Council officers have worked very hard to make this happen so it's particularly pleasing to see local people making the most of it.
“The installations clearly have a very broad appeal and it's encouraging to see such a wide range of people enjoying them.
“City Park is already generating economic benefits.”
The latest figures come after the Council revealed last month that electronic footfall counters installed around City Park had recorded an average of nearly 100,000 visitors a week throughout July and August.
The Park was officially opened in March and its final costs are still unknown, although the Council has said it expects this to be close to the original estimate of £24.5 million. It features a mirror pool and 100 fountains.
Garden of Light runs from dusk to around 10pm every night until October 14.
Comments(17)
Thee Voice of Reason
says...
8:09am Tue 9 Oct 12
Well that says it all.
JAtkinson
says...
8:22am Tue 9 Oct 12
Some great pics and review here http://kulchadyet.wo
rdpress.com/2012/10/
07/garden-of-light-i
n-bradfords-city-par
k/
JAtkinson
says...
8:26am Tue 9 Oct 12
Thee Voice of Reason wrote:Seriously, why say that? You've said nothing about the event but picked up on one tiny part. Have you even been down to see it? Have you got anything constructive, never mind positive, to say? Anything?
Bradford council has estimated.
Well that says it all.
Your comments on posts like this serve only as floating fecal matter in swimming pool and I'd be glad if you did your business elsewhere.
What is wrong with you?
Thee Voice of Reason
says...
8:33am Tue 9 Oct 12
JAtkinson wrote:What ia wrong with me, well the city of my birth has changed into a right shytehole with a hole on one side and a hidden gem on the other, with pound and empty shops galore so forgive me for not getting excited about a small piece of pond that cost £35m to build whilst the rest of the city is falling apart.
Thee Voice of Reason wrote:Seriously, why say that? You've said nothing about the event but picked up on one tiny part. Have you even been down to see it? Have you got anything constructive, never mind positive, to say? Anything?
Bradford council has estimated.
Well that says it all.
Your comments on posts like this serve only as floating fecal matter in swimming pool and I'd be glad if you did your business elsewhere.
What is wrong with you?
Its simple putting a flower on a dog sh1t.
And before you get carried away with figures bear in mind that people walking across the park to the alhambra then back on the same route do not count as vistors but would show up twice on the councils footfall system.
JAtkinson
says...
8:37am Tue 9 Oct 12
Thee Voice of Reason
says...
9:16am Tue 9 Oct 12
JAtkinson wrote:Where have I said I have or haven't been down to the park?
TVOR - So, you haven't been but felt your input invaluable. It's not.
BradfordStranger
says...
9:49am Tue 9 Oct 12
Thee Voice of Reason wrote:You can't polish a turd but you can roll it in glitter....
JAtkinson wrote:What ia wrong with me, well the city of my birth has changed into a right shytehole with a hole on one side and a hidden gem on the other, with pound and empty shops galore so forgive me for not getting excited about a small piece of pond that cost £35m to build whilst the rest of the city is falling apart. Its simple putting a flower on a dog sh1t. And before you get carried away with figures bear in mind that people walking across the park to the alhambra then back on the same route do not count as vistors but would show up twice on the councils footfall system.Thee Voice of Reason wrote: Bradford council has estimated. Well that says it all.Seriously, why say that? You've said nothing about the event but picked up on one tiny part. Have you even been down to see it? Have you got anything constructive, never mind positive, to say? Anything? Your comments on posts like this serve only as floating fecal matter in swimming pool and I'd be glad if you did your business elsewhere. What is wrong with you?
JAtkinson
says...
12:42pm Tue 9 Oct 12
BradfordStranger wrote:Words fail me - I wish it was contagious.
Thee Voice of Reason wrote:You can't polish a turd but you can roll it in glitter....JAtkinson wrote:What ia wrong with me, well the city of my birth has changed into a right shytehole with a hole on one side and a hidden gem on the other, with pound and empty shops galore so forgive me for not getting excited about a small piece of pond that cost £35m to build whilst the rest of the city is falling apart. Its simple putting a flower on a dog sh1t. And before you get carried away with figures bear in mind that people walking across the park to the alhambra then back on the same route do not count as vistors but would show up twice on the councils footfall system.Thee Voice of Reason wrote: Bradford council has estimated. Well that says it all.Seriously, why say that? You've said nothing about the event but picked up on one tiny part. Have you even been down to see it? Have you got anything constructive, never mind positive, to say? Anything? Your comments on posts like this serve only as floating fecal matter in swimming pool and I'd be glad if you did your business elsewhere. What is wrong with you?
BradfordStranger
says...
1:02pm Tue 9 Oct 12
The light show was the best thing staged on/near it yet.
Bacon Bantam
says...
1:41pm Tue 9 Oct 12
BradfordStranger
says...
2:01pm Tue 9 Oct 12
Maybe the disappointment from the rest of the City makes this particular area look better than it is?
You should know all about disappointment if you are a Bantam ;)
bcfc1903
says...
1:44am Wed 10 Oct 12
Albion.
says...
6:41am Wed 10 Oct 12
bcfc1903 wrote:Yes I noticed that and all the now shops and decent clean restaurants and the three new theatres and the new Bradford Eye and the flying pigs and the fairies round the pond and.....
Excellent turnout for these superb lights, the City Park is adding footfall to the city centre, which means alot more cash being spent in Bradford ...well done to the council for this and other attractions brought to the city centre recently. Keep up the good work ..a refurbished Odeon building would be another step in the right direction for the great City of Bradford.
BD16
says...
10:01am Wed 10 Oct 12
bcfc1903 wrote:I forget the figures but wasn't the park supposed to bring in about £40 million pa and in it's first six months delivered about £2 million?
Excellent turnout for these superb lights, the City Park is adding footfall to the city centre, which means alot more cash being spent in Bradford ...well done to the council for this and other attractions brought to the city centre recently. Keep up the good work ..a refurbished Odeon building would be another step in the right direction for the great City of Bradford.
Don't get me wrong, I think it's a good open space, but the cost and the projected benefits seem to be completely disproportionate to what has been realised so far.
I said before it was opened that it was the icing on the cake of a good city centre, sadly we don't have a good city centre. Until that's changed it will underperform.
TirNaNog
says...
9:35am Thu 11 Oct 12
bcfc1903
says...
11:42am Thu 11 Oct 12
BD16 wrote:Who knows how much cash the City Park will eventually be bringing into Bradford City centre, the £2,000,000 is a good start. Personally i never expected the City Park to instantly put millions into retail outlets but obviously it has. The Park is a slow burner that will increase footfall gradually. Bradford folk are without doubt coming into the city centre in greater numbers and that will continue to be an upward curve on any footfall graph as long as the council book the right events to hold in the fantastic City Park space..
bcfc1903 wrote:I forget the figures but wasn't the park supposed to bring in about £40 million pa and in it's first six months delivered about £2 million?
Excellent turnout for these superb lights, the City Park is adding footfall to the city centre, which means alot more cash being spent in Bradford ...well done to the council for this and other attractions brought to the city centre recently. Keep up the good work ..a refurbished Odeon building would be another step in the right direction for the great City of Bradford.
Don't get me wrong, I think it's a good open space, but the cost and the projected benefits seem to be completely disproportionate to what has been realised so far.
I said before it was opened that it was the icing on the cake of a good city centre, sadly we don't have a good city centre. Until that's changed it will underperform.
Avro says...
8:08am Tue 9 Oct 12