Kym Mazelle, who is among the star name attractions at this year’s Walk In The Park extravaganza, was described by her fellow American Will I Am on a recent appearance on BBC 1’s The Voice as “a pioneer…without that I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing”.

But she is more than a pioneer of house music in the UK. Kym Mazelle – who grew up with the Jackson family in Indiana, USA – is also a fantastic soul singer, ‘disco diva’, and performer.

And who better an influence on her early life in terms of becoming an international performer, than the Jackson family. She sang with them before then went off to achieve worldwide superstar status – though ironically, she studied and trained to be an opera singer at university in Chicago.

But it was a path she chose not to follow, instead, turning her talents to soul and house music, and after landing a job with DJ International Records, she soon met producer Mashall Jefferson, and the two formed an association that resulted in her first two singles.

But it was her third single – ‘Wait’, a duet with Robert Howard of the Blow Monkeys – that gave her a first Top Ten hit, and she has been a consistent recording artist ever since.

She is best known to UK audiences for a fantastic, and successful, cover version of the 1970s hit ‘Young Hearts Run Free’, recorded for the 1996 film ‘Romeo and Juliet’ which starred Leonard DiCaprio.

In 2005, Mazelle took part in the reality TV show ‘Celebrity Fit Club’, when she lost over a stone in weight, during the programme. She also appeared on the BBC TV series ‘Celebrity Masterchef”.

More recently, she headlined Prince Charles’s Prince’s Trust Ambassador Ball in Glasgow, helping to raise £93,000.00 for the charity on the night.

She is still a regular performer, and her distinctive and powerful vocals, and a passionate style of performing on stage, Kym has established herself as one of the leading “disco divas”, among great names that include Gloria Gaynor.

Kym will be great entertainment at this year’s Walk In The Park, and will be sure to have the crowds dancing with her, and to her, as she entertains us at our big Family Extravaganza on July 5.

Walk In The Park 2013 has teamed up with local community radio station Inspiration FM.

Inspiration FM is a volunteer community led and managed radio, multi-media broadcasting service, providing access, information, communication, entertainment, training and employment in Northampton.

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Walk in the Park 2013

Visitors to this year’s Walk In The Park Friday night extravaganza will be able to bring their own alcohol.

Organisers have relaxed a recent ruling that no alcohol was permissable, other than that bought on the night at the event, after listening to the opinions of local people.

Said Councillor Brandon Eldred, chairman of the organising committee: “We know a lot of families bring picnics with them on the Friday night, and some like to bring champagne and their favourite wine. Read the rest of this entry »

Les Mekeown

Back in the 1970s the Bay City Rollers were as big as – if not bigger – than One Direction or JLS are nowadays.

For three years they dominated the pop charts. They had their own TV series. Their concerts were sell outs – packed with teenage girls screaming for Les, or Woody, or Eric, or Derek, or Alan.

‘Rollermania’, as it was known, had gripped the UK. The Bay City Rollers were everywhere. And it even spread abroad, with the group becoming just as popular in North America, Japan and Australia.

Les was the lead singer – Les McKeown. And he still fronts the band, that might not dominate the charts any more, but still play to sell out crowds around the country and beyond.

Their old songs are still as popular: ‘Bye Bye Baby’, ‘Give A Little Love’ and ‘Shang-a-Lang’ among them, which they perform with a new collection of songs they’ve written more recently.

As for the teenage girls – well now they’re likely to be the daughters, or granddaughters, of those who screamed their heads off back in the mid 1970s. But while the mums roll back the years, and remember when, their daughters enjoy Bay City Roller nights just as much.

Walk In The Park is very excited about welcoming Les and the Rollers to our event this year. They’ll be our headline act at our Friday Family Extravaganza on July 5.

Said Brandon Eldred, of the organising committee: “I had heard so many good things about Les and the Bay City Rollers, that I decided to find out more, and was highly impressed. They’re fantastic entertainers, and that’s what we want at Walk In The Park.

“Sure, there’ll be some mums – even grandmas – rolling back the years, and remembering when they used to rush home from school to watch them on TV. But they’ve a new audience now, and youngsters enjoy their concerts just as much. Most importantly, they’ll be a great finale to our night, and have everyone on their feet dancing.”

Walk In The Park’s 2013 Friday extravaganza is on July 5, gates opening at 6.30. Tickets – which cost just £12 for adults, £6 for under 16s and £25 for a family ticket for four – can be bought on line from this website, or by calling in at the Wootton and East Hunsbury Parish Council in Curtlee Hill, Wootton Fields (01604 705055).

Don’t forget our FREE family day, at Wootton Rec, on Saturday, July 6, with all the popular attractions.

Tickets for this year’s Walk In The Park are on sale from Tuesday, February 19 – with another fantastic night of entertainment already lined up for visitors to the Friday night extravaganza.

The Bay City Rollers – one of the country’s biggest bands in the 1970s – headline this year’s Friday night line-up, along with MK1 from last year’s ‘X Factor’, the American soul singer Kym Mazelle, and Katrina Leskanich, who was a big star in the 1980s as the lead singer with Katrina and The Waves.

And the great news for visitors to the Friday extravaganza on July 5 is that ticket prices have been reduced from last year, with an adult ticket now just £12, £6 for under 16s, and £25 for a family of four.

“Basically we’ve listened to local people, and we know times have been a bit tough for some, so we’ve reflected that in the cost of this year’s tickets,” said Councillor Brandon Eldred, chairman of the organising committee.

Entry for Walk In The Park’s Family Fun Day on Saturday, July 6, is free, as usual, with the normal outstanding line-up of local talent performing for visitors throughout the afternoon.

You can buy your tickets online via the Walk In The Park website (www.walkintheparkfestival.co.uk) or buy popping in to the Wootton & Hunsbury Parish Council Offices, at the Curtlee Hill based community centre.

“Along with Friday’s musical entertainment, we’ll also have a Fun Fair and lots of other attractions, which will also be a part of the day on Saturday,” said Councillor Eldred.

“I am pleased to announce – and again, responding to popular demand – that the Fun Fair will be staying until Sunday (July 7) this year, so it will be a fantastic weekend of family fun, which is the sole purpose of putting this event on every year.”

Walk In The Park 2013 takes place on Friday, July 5 from 6.30pm to 11pm, and on Saturday, July 6, from 12 noon to 8pm.

“We’ve got another fantastic line-up for Walk In The Park, and it’s going to be another terrific night for all the family,” said Councillor Brandon Eldred, the chairman of the event’s organising committee.

“Once again we have something for everyone – for the mums, the dads and the youngsters, and all four acts provide tremendous entertainment, and will wow the crowds for us as S-Club, Real Thing, and Midge Ure, among others, have done in the past two years.

“Our event is a locally run festival for local people, and that we’re now attracting visitors from all over the town, and the county, is a bonus. Essentially, we want people to come along, and have a great evening out with friends and family, and being able to attract acts such as the Bay City Rollers, Katrina, Kym Mazzelle and MK One is great.

“And it’s really exciting that this year’s Walk In The Park fires the starting gun for what is a great month of music for Northampton – there’s so much to look forward to in our town this summer, and our event is proud to be launching it all.”

Walk In The Park was praised by last year’s headline act Midge Ure, and the great news for local people is that this year ticket prices for the Friday night extravaganza have been reduced.

Said Councillor Eldred, who is also in charge of the Paul Weller, James Morrison and The Wanted concerts at Delapre Abbey, and then the town centre music festival at the end of July: “It will cost £12 for an adult – down £3 from last year – and £6 for children under 16, with a family ticket for four costing £25.

“We have listened to feedback from local people, and while last year’s was really, really positive, we understand that there’s been some ‘belt-tightening’ over the past year for many, and reducing ticket prices is our way of saying ‘thank you’ to local people for their support.

“We take feedback very seriously, and act on it, and this is another example of that. We want Walk In The Park to be a great night out for everyone, with top class entertainment to enjoy – it’s an event run by local people for local people, and we’re proud of that.”

Walk In The Park’s ‘Family Friday Night’ is followed the following day with the free family day out, which this year runs from noon to 8pm. As ever, local schools and bands will be providing the musical entertainment throughout the day on July 6, with top local band Odd Child bringing the event to a conclusion.

Said Councillor Eldred: “Our family Saturday day out will be another great day out, with a return of all the popular attractions, including a fair, which will be even bigger this year. We’ll also be welcoming back the sports ‘have a go’ activities which proved so successful last year, there’ll be the usual stalls for local people and charities, and of course musical entertainment throughout the day, with the excellent Odd Child bringing it all to an end.”

* Les McKeown’s Legendary Bay City Rollers remain a big hit nationwide, with the group’s frontman and one time international heartthrob covering all the big hits of the 1970s including their million selling Number One hits Bye Bye Baby and Give A Little Love.

* MK One – the urban musical duo Charlie Rundle and Sim Dixon – reached the final six of last year’s X-Factor, and are now in demand throughout the country, and beyond.

* Kym Mazelle is known worldwide as theh ‘First Lady of House Music, and is an internationally acclaimed soul singer. She was brought up in Indiana, USA, and lived on the same street as the Jackson family. To many, she is best known as the singer of the cover version of ‘Young Hearts Run Free’ in 1996, for the film ‘William Shakespeare’s Romeo + Juliet, which starred Leonardo DiCaprio. Two years ago she also appeared on national TV in the UK as a contestant in ‘Celebrity Masterchef’.

* Katrina Leskanich was the singer in the hit group Katrina and the Waves, who won the 1997 Eurovision Song Contest for the UK with the song ‘Shine a little Love’. In 1984 they had a top ten hit with ‘Walking On Sunshine’. She now fronts a new band, which tours throughout this country, and Europe.

Walk In The Park 2013 takes place on Friday, July 5 from 6.30pm to 11pm, and on Saturday, July 6, from 12 noon to 8pm. Tickets can be booked online from Tuesday 19th February: www.walkintheparkfestival.co.uk or by calling in the office of Wootton & Hunsbury Parish Council, Curtlee Hill, Northampton (01604 705055).

Walk in the Park 2012

Organisers of this year’s Walk In The Park festival have hailed another great year, and thanked all the thousands of people who supported the event over Friday night and Saturday.

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Organisers of the Walk In The Park festival have announced a top class line-up of musical entertainment for this weekend’s Family Saturday. Read the rest of this entry »

Walk in the Park 2012

Walk In the Park organisers have been putting the finishing touches to preparations for this festival, which takes place on June 29 and 30. And they have taken on board feedback from visitors, and local residents.

So this year, organisers have DOUBLED the number of toilets from 12 months ago, and – by request – will also be segregating them into a men’s and women’s area.

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While she painted children’s faces or supervised the bouncy castle at the Walk In The Park Festival over the years, local singer Leanne Boyes has always dreamt that one day she would appear on stage with the stars at the annual event.

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