Tracing the traditions of a season of spectacles
Whether marking a Royal occasion, celebrating community pride of simply coming together in costume and song, the people of North Yorkshire have long taken to the streets to celebrate summer in style.
This month our archives open the streets of the past, capturing spectacle, civic pride and sense of occasion that have brought communities together for generations.
Highlights include the pageantry of Harrogate’s Peace celebrations in 1919, a vintage car rally in the 1950s, a circus parade with elephants along Victoria Road in Scarborough to advertise its presence in the town and the grandeur of a Coronation float in 1902.
In Scarborough, Sunday strolls along the esplanade became known as the ‘Church Parade,’ while uniformed officers took centre stage at the Great Yorkshire Show.
Ripon’s Saint Wilfrid’s procession, beautifully captured in images supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Ripon Civic Society, remains a vibrant tradition today. These snapshots reflect the enduring power of shared ritual, whether solemn or celebratory and their role in shaping local identity.
Promotional parades and themed events also left their mark, from Harrogate’s French Week festivities to colourful shopfront floats and market square gatherings. Whatever the occasion, the images remind us that these moments of togetherness are woven into the fabric of North Yorkshire’s summer story.
North Yorkshire Archives hold thousands of historic photos – you can browse the collection through the online shop here.
If you have any further information about any of the images on this page, our archivists would be keen to hear about it. Please email yny@northyorks.gov.uk.
A circus parade proceeds along Prospect Road in Scarborough to advertise its presence in the town during the early 20th century.
A parade of elephants along Victoria Road in Scarborough to advertise a circus is in town during the early 20th century.
A circus parade proceeds along Prospect Road in Scarborough to advertise its presence in the town during the early 20th century.
A fashion parade at the Italian Gardens in Scarborough in the 1920s.
A veteran car rally in Scarborough in 1955. From the Bertram Unné photographic collection.
The annual Saint Wilfrid’s procession in Ripon in 1952. From the Bertram Unné photographic collection.
The St Wilfrid’s procession in Ripon (undated, mid-late 20th century). This image is part of the Ripon Re-Viewed collection created by Ripon Civic Society and supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF).
The St Wilfrid’s procession in Ripon (undated, mid-late 20th century). This image is part of the Ripon Re-Viewed collection created by Ripon Civic Society and supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF).
Harrogate’s French Week parade, passing in front of the Royal Baths during the 1950s. From the Bertram Unné photographic collection.
Police on parade at the Great Yorkshire Show in 1960. From the Bertram Unné photographic collection.
A tradesmen’s procession on Pump Hill in Knaresborough in the early 20th century.
A tradesmen’s procession in Knaresborough Market Place in the early 20th century.
A fancy dress parade in Harrogate as part of the peace celebrations in 1919.
J & W Baynes’ float in Station Parade in Harrogate for the Coronation procession for King Edward VII in August 1902.
Victorian visitors in their Sunday best walk along the Esplanade in Scarborough on a Sunday. The activity on Sundays became known as the ‘Church Parade’.
A military parade in Scarborough passes between the Pavilion Hotel (left) and the Railway Station (right) (undated photograph).
If you have any further information about any of the images on this page, our archivists would be keen to hear about it. Please email yny@northyorks.gov.uk.