4th March, 2008

Meet the Georgian Fair team

The 2008 Cockermouth Georgian Fair is once again to be centred on the Market Place area and will be the first event to be held in the newly-revitalised space. We are hoping to attract up to 10,000 visitors to the town, and we very much hope you will join in the fun and take maximum advantage from this event.

In order to describe our plans an open evening has been arranged, to be held at the Neo’s Bookshop Café & Gallery on Thursday, March 13th from 7.30 to 9pm. You will be able to meet the voluntary organising team and discuss any concerns or queries that you may have.

The main event on the Georgian Fair day on 3rd May will be as for 2006 and will feature once again a street market in Market Place and across Bitter Beck car park, to be erected from 6.30am and cleared away by 5.30pm. We have over 100 musicians and dancers who will be performing in Market Place and across the town, as well as street theatre and circus skills sessions. Entirely new interactive tours of the nooks and crannies of the town will take place at regular intervals, under the title Streetlife 1778. The Kirkgate Centre will host a series of concerts throughout the day.

From 3pm, there will be a costume parade leading to Memorial Gardens and the sedan chair racing will commence. With the right weather, we are expecting another wonderful town event!

We now need to contact and inform any who have previously shown interest in using space on the Bitter Beck car park for the volunteer market. That includes schools, parent/teacher associations, voluntary groups, local charities and any other properly constituted group who can use space for their own purposes to raise money or awareness, or provide entertainment.

The meeting is also to put in place the last strands of volunteer assistance for the organisation of the day throughout the town. So, if you are a member of any sort of group who wants to be involved make a date and be at this meeting. Chris George is the principal co-ordinator and can be reached on 01900 828209.

Other volunteer help is needed with costume making under the direction of Suzie Davies. If you can offer any sort of time and skill please contact her through the number given. Advice on making your own costumes is available in a booklet here.

Leaflets will be available soon in the TIC, charity shops and the library. Get making and join in stylishly.