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Local Events

Click on the links below to go to the appropriate part of the page;

• Aintree Gala
• Events At Aintree Racecourse

• Aintree Gala
• History of the Gala
• Football
• Gala Queen

The Gala took place at Harrow Drive Playing Fields, Aintree on Saturday 21st July 2001.

Events at the Gala included:

• 7-a-side football competition.
• Tug of War between Holy Rosary Parochial Club, Aintree Conservative Club, Valentine Public House and Blue Anchor Public House.
• Appearence by Liverpool band Nicer.
• H&M Dog Display.
• Martial Arts Display.
• Jenise School of Dancing.
• Music by the Baptist Church.
• Painting Competition.
• Candy Floss, B-B-Q, Punch & Judy, Fair, Face Painting, Bouncy Castle, Stalls etc.

In 1958 the Aintree Conservative Association organised an event in Harrow Drive Park which was essentially a fund raising activity for local charities. The first event was organised by Tommy Martland and the beneiciaries were local pensioners and the RNLA. In subsequent years this became a regular annual event. Each year a different member of the association took prime responsibility for organising the event and a different charity was chosen.

In 1978, at the request of the Conservative association the Aintree Community Group took over responsibility for running the event.

In 1986, the 'Aintree Gala Organisation' was formed with the specific objective of ensuring that Aintree would continue to have an annual celebration.

The same committee (but not of course the same members) still runs the Gala today. They are always looking for new members with fresh ideas.

The Gala has at least three objectives. Firstly it is a celebration, a good day out for the people of Aintree. Secondly, it is a way of bringing together the many groups and organisations that exist within the parish, giving them an opportunity to work together rather than in isolation. Thirdly, it hopes to raise funds for local organisations.

In the early days all money raised was pooled and the committee, to which members of all the participating organisations were invited, allocated funds where it was considered most suitable. In subsequent years it has become the practice for individual groups to do their own fund raising on the day. This is now normal practice with just a few obvious exceptions.

One of the most popular features of Gala day are the 7-a-side football finals. This competition was initiated and run for many years by Aintree Villa FC, but it is now organised and run by members of the Gala Committee. The competition is open to young people from Aintree, Maghull and Melling. There are four age groups;

• Under 11's
• Under 13's
• Under 15's
• Under 17's

Qualifying matches are played throughout June and early July with the finals taking place on Gala day. Entry forms are available from Harrow Drive Playing Fields from April and entries need to be in by the third Friday in May each year.

In March each year, the Aintree Gala Committee hold a disco, at which the Aintree Gala Queen and her retinue are chosen. The Queen is crowned at the Gala in July and she represents the area at various functions throughout the year. Any young lady between the ages of 12 and 15 from the village can enter the competition.

Roll of honour since 1978;

As far back as the 1500's and 1600's, racing was held around this area. A race meeting was advertised in a newspaper article dated July 1696, at Martin Mere, near Ormskirk. Later other race meetings were held at Crosby, Aughton, Melling and Maghull. The last race taking place around 1786. In 1827 racing was restored in Maghull by John Formby.

A William Lynn of the Waterloo Hotel in Ranelegh Street, Liverpool, having an eye for furthering his hotel business, planned to open up a flat racecourse at Aintree. The first race meeting taking place on this new racecourse on 7th July 1829. Deciding then to join forces with John Formby, they switched the races from Aintree to Maghull during 1837 and 1838.

In 1839 a syndicate was formed to organise the races, and upon purchasing the racing amenities from William Lynn, they returned to Aintree where the first Grand National proper was held on 26th February 1839. The winning horse was named 'Lottery', ridden by J. Mason.

During the 1916-18 and 1941-45 World Wars there were no races at Aintree. The 1993 race was void because there was a false start, the horses were recalled although some continued the race. On Saturday 5th April 1997, the race was abandoned, due to a bomb scare, and thousands of people were evacuated into the streets of Aintree village. They were overwhelmed by the generosity and hospitality they received from the locals and to commemorate this the Racecourse Company commissioned a plaque that stands proudly on a wall near the winners enclosure. The race was eventually held on the Monday 7th April, and was won by Lord Gyllene.

Today the Grand National course is about four miles four furlongs, where the horses will jump 30 fences. The most famous horse to jump these fences was Red Rum, winning the National on three occasions; 1973, 1974 and 1977 also coming second in 1975 and 1976.

There have been many improvements to the racecourse in past years, including the building of three new grandstands, a visitor centre and a Virtual Reality simulated ride around Aintree's famous fences. In the heart of the racecourse a new golf complex features a superb driving range and one of the longest nine-hole courses in the UK.

In 1953 a motor circuit was built at Aintree and quickly gained a reputation as one of the best in the world, hosting a European Grand Prix and five British Grand Prix. Stirling Moss won his first Grand Prix on it in 1955 and Jim Clark won the 1962 event.