PICTURE GALLERY: Tight-knit community flocks to town for Woolly Weekend

SHIPSTON-ON-STOUR Wool Fair took place on Bank Holiday Monday, 30th May, as people flocked to celebrate the town’s history as a sheep town.

The fair was part of an expanded Woolly Weekend, which included the Totally Locally Shipston-on-Stour Arts and Crafts Market and an evening of tight-knitted French jazz called Smooth Weave on Saturday.

Twenty stalls from local producers made up the arts and crafts market on Saturday, while local musicians Ben Bryan and Hannah Porter entertained the crowds.

Organised by Louise Harvey and Lucy Kirkham from Shipston Totally Locally, customers could buy anything from paintings and ceramics to jewellery, soaps and preserves.

On Saturday, St Edmund’s Church hosted the Smooth Weave concert, featuring performances by a four-piece ensemble called Chimera, followed by jazz group Montparnasse.

After the Shipston-on-Stour Rotary Club Songs of Praise concert at the church on the Sunday, the scene was set for the main event — the popular Wool Fair.

That was formally opened by the Duke of Montrose, after a few words from new Shipston-on-Stour mayor, Cllr Ronnie Murphy.

The event included a strong musical programme with performers, including the Shipston-on-Stour Town Band, Ben Bryan, Shipston-on-Stour High School Jazz Band (led by Head of Music, David Hunt) and the Porter Family.

There were also ‘meet the sheep’ sessions with various rare breeds on display, including Leicester Longwool, Cotswold, Portland and Wensleydale.

Sheep shearing was demonstrated by James Scorer and James Tuffen while the Stratford Guild of Spinners, Weavers and Dyers were on hand to demonstrate how to spin on historical weaving machines.

A historic hand-operated organ was played by Roy and Grace Tanner to entertain visitors.

Cllr Murphy said: “It has been a really successful event, and thanks as always go to Bob Armstrong, Robin Payne and the rest of the Shipston-on-Stour Rotary team.”