Bracknell
was transformed into an exotic Eastern wonderland
on Saturday 11 June 2005, when a riot of
multi-cultural colour and activity came
to town.
A variety of eastern delights, including
dancing, arts & crafts, martial arts
and cookery demonstrations, were held in
the town centre as part of the highly successful
Malaysia Truly Asia event, organized by
Nia-Marie's restaurant in conjunction with
Bracknell Regeneration Partnership, Bracknell
Forest Borough Council and Malaysian partner,
iEverything Ltd.
Malaysian officials were delighted with
the level of support demonstrated not only
by local residents and retailers, but also
by the many people from across the UK who
travelled to Bracknell for the event.
In a meeting with Deputy Prime Minister
John Prescott, the Malaysian High Commissioner
gave a glowing report of the event, which
also received international acclaim with
coverage of the festival appearing in Malaysia's
national press.
The Mayor of the Borough of Bracknell Forest,
Cllr Mrs Jacqui Ryder attended
the event, and encouraged spectators to
join in with the festivities by taking part
in a Bhangra dance.
Local retailers in the town centre were
pleased with the activities, which saw footfall
in the town centre rise by 7%. Car park
usage also increased significantly, with
figures for Charles Square and the High
Street up by 15.8% and 7% respectively,
compared to the same week last year.
Thomas Cook, who actively supported the
Malaysian day, were absolutely delighted
with the level of interest, reporting a
highly successful day on which all of their
brochures were taken by potential customers.
Following official greetings from the Mayor
and the Malaysian High Commissioner, Malaysian
Celebrity Chef, Chef Zam, introduced visitors
to the essence of Asian cookery, with its
kaleidoscope of distinct flavours and styles
that encompass Malay, Chinese and Indian
cuisine.
Malaysian singing, Bhangra dancing and musicians
helped Bracknell to capture the spirit of
Asian culture, whilst the vivid colours
of the costumes and decorations were a vibrant
addition to the town centre.
Speaking on the day, the Mayor Cllr Mrs
Jacqui Ryder said: “The response is indeed
overwhelming. It's wonderful that the people
of Bracknell can get to know a bit of Malaysia.”
“This has been such a success that it is
certainly not going to be the last. We look
forward to many more Malaysian festivals
here,” she added.
Town Centre Manager, Graham Mountford, said:
“We are delighted that so many people from
across the UK visited Bracknell to be involved
in this highly successful, multi-cultural
event. I have never seen the Broadway so
busy, with many people taking part and enjoying
the fantastic variety of ethnic foods and
activities.”
“I particularly enjoyed the highly skilled
dancers and musicians, who made a colourful
and vibrant addition to the town centre.”
Helen Barnett, Marketing Manager for Bracknell
Regeneration Partnership, added:
“Many different partners worked together
to bring this promotion to the town centre.
The fine examples from cuisine to clothing
all from Malaysian culture made a very positive
impact on the town centre drawing even more
local shoppers to the area. We are extremely
pleased to have been involved with this
event, which made a great contribution to
the cultural and economic vitality of our
town centre - we look forward to holding
the event again next year!”
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