The organisers of Sidbury Fair are celebrating one of their most successful events in recent history.
After being cancelled in 2020 due to the coronavirus restrictions, the fair was switched this year from its traditional Wednesday slot to a Saturday in a move which proved to be very popular.
Hundreds of people descended on the village to enjoy a range of events and entertainment.
Sidbury Fair chair, Monique Pike, said she was delighted with the turnout and grateful for the hard work that made the day possible.
She added: “It was a fabulous day. The weather was kind and the move from mid week to the weekend meant we had a lot more families coming along.”
The fair attracts visitors from miles around and has been a fixture in the village’s calendar since 1291.
Among this year’s highlights were the traditional scarecrow competition and hot pennies ceremony, a fun run and walk and a livestock auction.
In years gone by, there have been road closures so that the fair could take place in the heart of the village.
Due to difficulties applying for a licence because of the uncertainty caused by the pandemic, the stalls were moved to the church yard and events such as the dog show, craft fair and auction were staged in a marquee on land close to the village centre.
Monique said: “The atmosphere was fantastic. Everyone enjoyed themselves and there were so many people we ran out of food for the barbeque.
“After Covid and the lockdown, people were just pleased to be out and about and enjoying themselves.
“We had about 40 wonderful volunteers helping to plan the fair and make sure it ran smoothly on the day.
“The scarecrow competition, which was won by Sue Willey, attracted 16 entries and the pub quiz and bingo were also very popular.
“People gave generously at the stalls and with entry fees and we also received an anonymous donation of £500 from an elderly gentleman in memory of his recently deceased wife. The money will be used to cover our costs with any surplus being distributed in the community.”
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