A BUMPER day of St George’s celebrations are being planned in Basildon.

Basildon Council has organised plenty of events for Friday, April 23, following the success of its St George’s Day spectacular last year.

Among the highlights will be a farmers’ market with a hog roast in St Martin’s Square, as well as morris dancers, live music and a parade.

At 4.15pm, crowds will watch as hundreds of red and white bio-degradable balloons will be released into the air from St Martin’s Square.

Fifteen minutes later, a parade of veterans’ groups, cadets, Scouts and Brownies will make its way from Toys R Us in Basildon town centre to St Martin’s Square, where it will be greeted by Mo Larkin, chairman of the council.

Mrs Larkin said: “This is going to be a terrific day, and I hope people come out and support it.

“There will be lots going on and something for everyone.

“Last year, the celebrations proved to be really popular, and this year they will be even bigger and better. If enough people support the event, then it could become an annual thing, which would be brilliant for the town.”

Winners of a literacy competition to name their favourite English literary character will be announced during the day, and a special St George’s Day concert at the Towngate Theatre will round off the festivities.

Mrs Larkin added she is due to visit Basildon’s twin town of Meux in France on April 16.

She has been invited to the town – 20 miles north of Paris – as a VIP guest in order to open a museum.

She said: “I am going for two days, totally at my own expense.

“It was lovely to be asked to open the museum out there.

“So you could say, ‘Mo will be going to Meux’!”