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24 May 2010

The Wool Fair officially opens at 10 a.m., with a lusty ‘cry’ to herald the day from Shipston’s very own lady Town Crier, followed by some jaunty music from the Town Band.  Just before the opening any laggards will be called to action with an appealing chime of bells from the expert team of bell ringers at St Edmund’s Church.

A highlight of the day is the exhibition of a dozen or so sheep and lambs, including rare breeds and a couple of 'celebrity' sheep – all on show in the town centre. All the sheep arrive at the Fair with long woolly coats, but during the day most of them are sheared at intervals, and in batches, by highly skilled professional shearers. Visitors will be invited to guess the weight of the heaviest sheep, with a prize for the winner.  A warning – think BIG!  At 3 o’clock there will be one special shearing event, where you can enter a prize competition to guess the time it takes for that particular sheep to be sheared.

In addition to a jam-packed schedule of performances by talented musicians and dancers, we have laid on a host of entertaining activities for young and old throughout the day.

These include:

  • Fun for children of all ages, including an ‘electric sheep’, ‘stick the tail on Shaun’, a Lucky Dip, pot games, skittles and quoits, held in a fascinating Mongolian yurt (a huge Nomad tent).  Lots of prizes to be won!  You can also see how knitting is done and perhaps learn to knit yourself (with expert help!), and watch a demonstration of how the yurt roof is woven.  And meet the wonderful and loyal Guide Dogs at the Guide Dogs display stand.  Just follow the signs to the ‘Children’s Area’ in Granville Court.
  • Items of historical interest on display – ancient farm machinery, copies of medieval tapestries and maps made in this area.  The Shipston Museum will also be open to the public from 2 p.m. till 5 p.m.
  • Ever wondered how that fluffy jumper or tweed jacket came into being?  Visit the exhibition in the Marquees, called ‘WOOL IS .... ’ Here you’ll see the whole process from fleece through spinning and weaving to high fashion garment, with many fine exhibits.  You’ll also see how the act of making something out of wool can be so much more than a personal pleasure – it can really help others!  Visit the marquees to find out how!
  • For grown-ups and families – test your skills!  You can ‘guess the weight of the sheep’, or guess how long it takes to shear a particular sheep.  Plus Treasure Hunts to test your wits and powers of observation!
  • A micro brewery, an ice cream van, and a blacksmith with his forge.
  • Colourful stalls selling local produce, and sheep and wool related merchandise. A micro brewery, an ice cream van, and a blacksmith with his forge.
  • And take a stroll around Shipston’s wonderful array of independent retailers, to see how they have decked out their windows.  Shipston shops are by now famous for entering into the spirit of any local festival or market held in the town, dressing their windows to reflect the theme of the event.  Expect to see some really imaginative displays here!
  • Enter the Wool Fair raffle for a chance to win a host of fantastic raffle prizes - all raffle proceeds will be donated to local charities and good causes.

THE BEST DAY OUT BAA-AA-A NONE!