Howard Jones, of Molly Carpets, seeks help with future event for Bury St Edmunds to honour town’s history

The owner of a town centre business is seeking ideas to give his Suffolk town a stand out event for the future.

Howard Jones, 56, has run Molly Carpets in St Andrew’s Street South, Bury St Edmunds, for the past four years and hopes to work with other local businesses and members of the town’s community to organise an event honouring Bury’s history.

Mr Jones said he was inspired by the gothic weekend in Whitby which sees thousands of visitors don their vampire costumes to honour Bram Stoker’s Dracula, as well as Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling event in Gloucestershire which sees participants racing downhill after a wheel cheese each year.

He has several ideas including people dressing up as Vikings to march through the town centre as well as an immersive medieval dinner experience with actors portraying St Edmund and other historical figures.

Mr Jones said: “I just thought ‘what is Bury famous for?’ – Edmund the Martyr, the legend of the wolf which found his head - but what is being done to celebrate it? In my opinion, not a lot.

“Bury doesn’t really have anything going on in the town. We used to have the Christmas Fayre on Angel Hill but I think the town really needs something to put us on the map and help build its identity.

“This idea would help bring more people to the town, give communities a big annual event to look forward to and also draw people to Bury to help boost the economy.”

Mr Jones is now inviting others to share their ideas and help develop the plans by emailing mollycarpets@gmail.com or by calling 07909 965211.

Molly Carpets is part of the Business Improvement District (BID) in Bury which has recently been voted to continue its services until 2030.

Our Bury St Edmunds is funded by levy paying businesses to work with local authorities and the police to enhance services in the town as well marketing, promotion, safety and maintenance.