Stormy Hotham fair is no wash-out

The Hotham Park Heritage Trust members had kept their country fair alive this year by shifting it to West Meads.

The usual location in the park was ruled out because of ongoing restoration works.

But their efforts to continue to raise money for the beauty spot were greeted by one of the worst days of the summer.

Last Saturdayfeatured brisk south westerly winds and driving rain for several hours.

This caused the volunteers to scrap plans to stage sideshows around their temporarory venue of West Meads Hall even for just one day instead of the usual weekend.

They had to be moved indoors along with Punch and Judy man Trevor Jennings, who performed in a function room.

The large bouncy castle was taken down almost as soon as it was put up because of the ferocious conditions. Yet the disruption failed to entirely ruin the occasion.

Some 300 people went along to the fair to browse around the 26 stalls '“ selling goods such as homemade sweets, preserves and chutneys, jewellery, pewter goods and children's art supplies '“ inside the hall. They were entertained by young jazz musicians Mark Deakin and Scott Green.

The trust also took some 300 on the day which will go towards installing toddlers' play equipment in the park's popular playarea.

Trust events chairman Diana Strachan said: "We had to put everything in the hall because of the weather.

"We had a fair number of people come along in spite of the weather, though it was nowhere near as many as would have been at the fair.

"But it was still worthwhile putting on the fair. We raised some more money for the park and we had a display so that people could see what is going on there."

Mrs Strachan stated the trust hoped to be back in the park next summer with its more usual fair.

"I'm very pleased with the park," she added. "I think it's looking excellent. All the work is coming along very nicely. The park is looking very lush with all the new planting that has taken place.

"The boating lake is very popular. Every boat was out when I was there the other day.

"There's a lot of people in there when there is a nice day."

The park is benefiting from a 2.2m makeover led by Arun District Council's parks and greenspace team and largely financed by the Heritage Lottery Fund.

The outcome will be to restore it to its 1912 layout by turning the former Rainbow's End site into parkland and returning it to the public.

New planting, tree thinning, drainage work and restoration of the park lodge and Hotham Park House clock tower are among the other aspects of the comprehensive scheme.