There’s a silver lining to this year’s Much Wenlock Christmas Fayre. Neil Thomas reports.
For many people, it is the start of the Christmas countdown. A bundle of seasonal joy, goodwill and celebration. It is, of course, Much Wenlock Christmas Fayre, which this year celebrates its 25th anniversary.
It is a noteworthy milestone for this feelgood event, which has stood the tests of time – tests which have included the 2008 financial crisis and the Covid pandemic. The latest of these was ‘red warning’ Storm Darragh, which wreaked havoc across the country and saw the cancellation of last year’s fayre.
It demonstrates how popular the event is that it will return on 6 December with a packed programme of street entertainment and a capacity 160 stallholders offering a wide range of goods – with 40 more businesses on the waiting list for a pitch. Absence truly makes the heart grow fonder.
Indeed, affection for the event was illustrated by 60 per cent of last year’s stallholders, who told the not-for-profit organising group to hang onto their pitch fee rather than take a refund.
“It was a lovely gesture and shows their loyalty to the fayre. Many of them return year after year,” says Chair Lesley Ingram.
Lesley is ideally-placed to reflect on the fayre’s silver anniversary, having taken part every year, either as a trader – for 20 years she and husband Clive ran The Copper Kettle tea room in High Street – or as an organising committee member and, for the past 10 years, Chair.
“An events company was brought in to organise the first one, which was on the first weekend in December, as now, but was over the Saturday and Sunday. It had a Victorian theme, which lends itself nicely to Christmas, and traders were encouraged to dress in period costume. We entered into the spirit and I wore a costume with a large bustle, not quite realising how tricky it would be to move between the tables serving customers,” she recalls with a smile.
“The event was a huge success and traders did very well out of it. The second year had a Second World War theme. The company wasn’t involved for that long and when they decided not to continue, a couple of local business guys got together a local committee to keep it going.”
It went from being a two-day event to its traditional place in the calendar on the first Saturday of December and has never looked back.
“It has just grown and grown over the years. We have 6,000 people stream into Much Wenlock on the day.”
This pretty market town has more than its fair share of independent shops, for whom the Christmas Fayre provides an essential income.
“It helps a lot of businesses during the quiet winter months as they take so much on the day,” Lesley says. “Many people travel in from a wide area for the day and some have been coming for years. More than one person has said to me, ‘this is the start of our Christmas’.”
The event, led by an eight-strong committee, takes eight months to organise. Its success rests heavily on the efforts of volunteers, of whom street marshals are a key part.
“We are always looking for volunteers to be marshals, to offer help and direction to visitors and keep them safe by making sure traffic doesn’t drive along the closed streets,” Lesley says. “Those who would like to get involved, please contact us through the website or Facebook.”
This year’s fayre will run from 10am to 5pm. There will be activities for children including the chance to meet Father Christmas. Snacks and beverages will be on sale at various venues around the town.
Local musicians, singers and dancers will provide entertainment with festive themes throughout the day.
There will be performances from saxophone group High Variety as well as Much Wenlock Primary School Choir and Much Wenlock Male Voice Choir. The Salvation Army Band will play a selection of carols that are sure to conjure the traditional spirit of Christmas.
Much Wenlock Town Crier Joffrey Watson will ensure a colourful start to the fayre and stilt walker Bel Blaze will be out and about.
The award-winning Concordia Ladies Choir, The Haberdashers’ Abraham Darby Brass Ensemble, Got2Sing, Key Change Choir, Darby Singers, the acclaimed choir Of One Accord, Wem Taiko Drumming group, ukulele players Ukes United, U3a Guitar Group and singer and harpist Laurelle Rond will all add to the wide variety of beautiful song and music.
As will Darby Singers, Ditton Priors-based Brown Clee Community Choir and Rock Choir, a pioneering Shropshire-based contemporary ensemble singing vibrant feel-good arrangements of upbeat and festive songs.
Dance plays its part, courtesy of Morris Dancing group Ironmen and Severn Gilders and Belly-Up! – local ladies who practise traditional Middle Eastern dance.
It all builds towards a Candlelight Procession followed by Carols by Candlelight with Holy Trinity Church Choir and The Haberdashers’ Abraham Darby Brass Ensemble.
Here’s to the next 25 years and more!
Visit www.wenlockchristmasfayre.org.uk for more details.
