At dawn on Bank Holiday Monday, Bradworthy was awash and carefully chalked pitch names disappeared from the Square, but as the Local Agenda 21 Group prepared for the fifth Bradworthy fayre, the puddles began to dry and, once again, the weather was kind as Mrs Lizzie Balsdon opened Bradworthy Fayre 2000.
Both Memorial Hall and Square were packed with stalls, the Square coming even more alive with fairground rides, which had to be hastily resited since they were unable to negotiate the entrance to Schillers' Field! This year, people have been phoning us to book pitches right until the last moment, so word is obviously spreading and the Fayre is gaining momentum of its own.
Ben May's horse-drawn cart rides provided a timeless way to see the village, though one lady visitor from London had to get out and walk to lighten the load. She did get her money back, but it didn't do much for her self-esteem!
There was plenty for the children this year, with the fairground rides, painting glass jars to supply flower vases for our hospital, and magical stories under the copper beech with Teri West. One initially resistant little boy ("so uncool to listen to stories") was so enthralled that he came back for a second round of tales with all his mates in tow!
There were some beautiful painted faces around the Fayre, thanks to Sharon Rushton's talents, and plenty smeared with ketchup from the delicious kebabs and Bar-B-Q food.
Tom Cann and Cecil Collacott drew their usual crowds with people reminiscing over old photos of Bradworthy in the new Cecil Collacott room in the Memorial Hall. From the old to the new, just next to the photos, computer technology enabled people to locate their homes on Devon Wildlife Trust's map database, and discover what local wildlife has been spotted there. DWTs inventory is an essential part of helping to look after the beautiful plants and creatures in our area.
Also encouraging people to think about how our lifestyles affect the environment were South West Water's display on water conservation, the Torridge Agenda 21 Group (TAG 21) with sustainable prizes such as energy-saving lightbulbs, and organic food from Holsworthy Organics. Information about organic gardening and genetically modified food was available to help us make the best choices for our own and the planet's health.
Towelling nappies fluttering in the breeze and other washable varieties are another way of looking after our area, since literally mountains of disposable nappies are one of the biggest landfill problems.
The Welcombe-based charity, the Yarner Trust, was advertising fascinating courses and camps on aspects of sustainable living, and there were stalls offering aromatherapy and Transcendental Meditation to help reduce stress and keep us healthy.
Sally Schiller and helpers ran another great dog show, with Sallys renowned "best rosettes in the west", which raised £300 to help animals. It was wonderful to see so many animals in the Square, thanks to Sarah Payne's hard work locating them, and many thanks to Di Bridgeman's of Kilkhampton for so generously loaning us the hurdles.
Final accounting has not yet been done, but a rough estimate suggests that we will be able to bank about £600 to go towards sustainability projects in the village, but the actual totals will be published as soon as they are available.
The past five years have seen the Fayre grow and all the hard promotional and organisational work has been done. What's needed now is a few more people to step forward to become part of the Committee to organise next year's Fayre. If you enjoy and value Bradworthy's fayre, please don't leave it to someone else; join in and ensure that Bradworthy's fayre continues.
Real Ale at Bradworthy Inn, thatching, hurdle-making, basketry, budging, dowsing and juggling' what a wonderful day. Thankyou to everyone for making Bradworthy's Millennial Fayre so special.
