COUNCIL TURNS 50

Flares make comeback. .. as council turns 50 

FLARES will be making a comeback this month – as a 1970s fancy dress extravaganza is staged to coincide with the 50th birthday of the borough of Erewash and Erewash Borough Council. The afternoon retro party is being held on Saturday 27 April and will feature a live band “for the whole family to enjoy”. The venue is the Erewash Museum, which has issued a free invitation to local people saying: “Come in your best 70s fancy dress, bring a chair and a blanket – as well as some dancing shoes – for a day of nostalgia.” The music starts in the grounds at noon and lasts until 4pm. Retro art workshops and “old school activities” will also be taking place at the heritage and culture hub in Ilkeston. Erewash Borough Council came into being in April 1974 when a local government shake-up merged three separate councils into one. While memories of that are likely to be hazy, many will remember something else that happened at the time – ABBA winning the Eurovision song contest. The Swedish band stormed to victory in Brighton with their hit song Waterloo. The track went on to be a No1 smash. But the song that reached the top of the pop charts in the first week of April was Seasons In The Sun by Terry Jacks – after he dislodged Paper Lace, who were from Nottingham. Their song Billy Don’t Be A Hero had been No1 for three weeks. 

The Erewash Museum near Ilkeston Market Place is open on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays from 11am to 4pm. Entry is free.