Organisers of this year’s Blackberry Fair in Whitchurch are really pleased after getting a “fantastic” response from the town.
Organisers of the fair Clare Bellingham and Steve Chapman have said this year’s fair which was the biggest so far was well received by people from across the town.
“We were really pleased with how it went,” said Clare. “Town was very busy. The weather was good. We had some new things. Lots of people in the town got on board and got behind it.
“We have attracted a lot of people from out of town. People often say to us that they came for Blackberry fair but have returned to the town later because they really loved it.”
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This year saw an expansion of the usual fair with five markets instead of two.
Joining the traditional Bramble and Fairy markets were new sites at the Plumtree square market, the Amsterdam market and a market near the Beacon church.
There were also new attractions with Chinese fan dancers and Chinese Dragons as well as other attractions which promoted sustainability.
“We had Rimski and Handkerchief on the pedal powered piano and cello, they had previously been at Glastonbury,” said Steve.
“We brought back the pedal powered roundabout and the pedal powered stage outside the civic, they are really important as they promote sustainability, which is what the fair is all about.
“In the wild zone we had climate change gardeners and master composters and allotment juicing apple. Which are important to the ethos of the fair.”
The pair hailed the work done by the dozens of volunteers on the day and are already looking to fundraise for next year.
“We never say anything for next year because we are so reliant on funding,” said Clare. “It costs thousands of pounds plus a lot of in-kind hours.
“We have to spend all year raising money for it. We have had more business sponsors this year from local businesses and that has really helped. The backing has been fantastic.”
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