Daffodils Dreams' Final Masquerade Ball: Another Wigan Event I Only Saw in the Photos

I found out about Daffodils Dreams' final masquerade ball the way I find out about far too many things in Wigan: after it had already happened, scrolling through a photo gallery on my phone while the kids were eating their tea. Wigan Today published a gallery of photographs from the night on Sunday, and the word that jumped out at me was not masquerade. It was final.

Why the word final stings

I am not going to pretend I know the full story behind Daffodils Dreams or why this was their last ball. The article is a photo gallery rather than a long write-up, so I will not invent details I do not have. What I can tell you is how it felt to see a Wigan event described as the final one and realise I had never made it to a single one of them.

That is the frustrating thing about living and working here with a family. There is more going on in and around Wigan than most people give the town credit for. Fundraisers, balls, fairs, school events, things at the DW, things in the town centre, things in the villages. But it is all scattered across Facebook groups, local news sites, posters in shop windows and messages from other parents at the school gate. If you blink, or you have a heavy week at work, you miss it. And sometimes, like here, there is no next year to catch up on.

The dad problem with local events

I run a business, I have kids and stepkids with their own calendars, and I try to squeeze in a round of golf when I can. My diary is not short of things in it. The problem is that the things in it tend to be the things that shout loudest: work deadlines, school letters, the dentist. A local ball or a community fundraiser does not shout. It quietly appears on a feed once and then it is gone.

Looking at those photos, I saw people who had clearly made an effort, dressed up and turned out for something local. That is exactly the kind of thing I bang on about supporting. Keeping money and attention in Wigan rather than always driving to Manchester or Liverpool for a night out or a day with the kids. And yet here I am, a self-confessed champion of local stuff, finding out from a gallery after the event.

What I am going to do differently

I am tired of being the dad who says that looked good, we should have gone. So a few practical things I am changing, and you are welcome to pinch them:

• I am checking Wigan Today's what's on and community coverage once a week, on a set day, rather than hoping the algorithm serves it up.
• Anything local that catches my eye goes straight in the shared family calendar with a reminder two weeks out, not the day before.
• I am asking other Wigan parents what they have heard about, because word of mouth still beats any website round here.
• I am going to start pulling together a simple monthly list of family friendly things in and around Wigan on this blog, because if I need it, I am sure other working parents do too.

Hats off to the people who turned up

To everyone in those photos who got dressed up and supported Daffodils Dreams at their final masquerade ball, fair play. That is what makes a town feel like a community rather than just a place you sleep between shifts. Have a look at the gallery on Wigan Today if you have not already.

And if you know of something coming up in Wigan that a busy family should not miss, tell me. Leave a comment or message me. I would much rather write about an event before it happens than after it has gone for good.