Whilst the phrase ‘paint the town red’ may not have originated in Melton Mowbray, one particular gentleman has made the saying synonymous with the town thanks to his outrageous behaviour almost 200 years ago!

It is said that in 1837 the Marquis of Waterford and a group of friends ran riot in the Leicestershire town of Melton Mowbray, painting the town's toll-bar and several buildings red. That event is well documented, and is certainly in the style of the Marquis, who was a notorious hooligan. To his friends he was Henry de la Poer Beresford; to the public he was known as 'the Mad Marquis'.

In the Oxford Dictionary of National Biography he is described as a 'reprobate and landowner'. His misdeeds include fighting, stealing, being 'invited to leave' Oxford University, breaking windows, upsetting (literally) apple-carts, fighting duels and, last but not least, painting the heels of a parson's horse with aniseed and hunting him with bloodhounds. He was notorious enough to have been suspected by some of being 'Spring Heeled Jack', the strange, semi-mythical figure of English folklore. Whilst we’re not expecting quite so much in the way of high jinks this year, we invite you to enjoy oneself flamboyantly at our very own Paint the Town Red event in the town centre where we will once again be celebrating everything that Melton Mowbray and its surrounding villages have to offer.

Paint the Town Red Melton Mowbray

Conceived in 2017 to fill the void left by the demise of the long-running Melton Country Show, Paint the Town Red is a free, family friendly, one-day event celebrating Melton Mowbray’s rich heritage of farming, country pursuits and fine foods right in the centre of town!

The Event Aims

• To inspire and engage visitors in a fun and stimulating environment with plenty to see, do, taste and enjoy.
  
  
• To develop awareness of the risks facing traditional farming and heritage craft methods and to provide an opportunity for our farmers and crafters to share their concerns, and their skills, in a fun and informative way.
  
  
• To showcase local food and beverage producers, street food creatives, talented artists and performers, traditional crafters, artisan workers and purveyors of quality goods.
  
  
• To create an additional trading opportunity for local businesses to promote and retail their goods and services.
  
  
• To highlight all that Melton Mowbray and the surrounding villages have to offer and to make our visitors aware of the many businesses, services and attractions in the area.
  
  
• To involve the many voluntary, charitable and not for profit groups working within the town and countryside to unite communities and make Melton Mowbray and the surrounding countryside the best place to live, work and visit.