Shepperton Village Fair 'irresistable' once again

Jun 17 2009 By Adam Courtney

Bethanie Sherwood age 4 at Shepperton Village Fair

WHETHER they were competing in the raft race, enjoying Punch and Judy, browsing the stalls or just soaking up the sun, thousands again flocked to Shepperton Village Fair on Saturday, the largest community event in Spelthorne.

With the rays beating down on Manor Park, the lure of the fair again proved irresistible to locals and visitors alike.

Grannies, teenagers and bouncing kids first joined then traditional procession and then packed into the park to enjoy the multitude a stalls, set up by businesses, schools and charities which provided goods, fun and games in exchange for money for good causes.

It was then onto the enduringly popular raft race, which organisers believe to be one of the best in the country.

Organiser Sally Dick, of Desborough Sailing Club, says the BBC would do worse than to cover it on its Saturday night news bulletins. She said: "I watched the news on Saturday and the stories were pathetic. Next year we will try to get a crew down here because the rafts are astoundingly impressive.

"This year was incredible, it has never been so popular and the work that went into some of the rafts was quite amazing – some people have been working on them for months."

At the conclusion of the races, the action moved back to the park, with a couple of Punch and Judy displays and a display of motorbikes.
Fair regular James Parsons, 33, attended with wife Emily and their two children, Rory, four, and Jessica, one.

He said: "It's one of the highlights of the summer for me. I've been coming since I was a kid and now I'm bringing my own family. I hope it continues for years to come."