Rules and regulations and a lack of support from the community are being blamed for the end of a major event in the town. St Catherine's Medieval Fair organiser Lyn Waller said that no one has come forward to take over its running, despite a public appeal last year. Time has run out to apply for the necessary grants and licences, and the fair will not take place this year.
Last year's event made a triumphant return after an absence of a year, when the 2005 fair was cancelled after the break-up of the previous organisers, the Town Centre Promotions Group. St Catherine's Fair was revived in 1984 as part of the Frome 1300 celebrations and has been a popular event on the town's calendar ever since.
Mrs Waller said: "You can say that rules and regulations have strangled the event. It's all down to health and safety and the need for any stall holder taking part to have public liability insurance to be able to do so, and for us, as organisers, to have insurance to cover the event. The whole event is not cost-effective. It is a shame because it was something that was part of the community, but it is now impossible to do in a way that will foster community spirit. Where local people used to come and have a stall and take part, they now have to have insurance and so the community is no longer able to take part. We ran it safely for 21 years and have a proven health and safety record. It has become an incredible paper trail to organise and it is not viable. We have got a society where people are not responsible for themselves and if we hold an event we have to be responsible for every child that falls over."
After last year's fair, Mrs Waller and co-organiser Hilary Beardmore decided it would be their last because they both felt the event needed fresh blood and appealed for volunteers to come forward.
Mrs Waller said: "Even if someone came forward now it would be too late as it would be impossible for anyone to get the necessary licences. We had to ask ourselves whether we still enjoyed organising the event, and unfortunately the answer was no."
Mrs Beardmore and Mrs Waller became involved ten years ago when some of the initial impetus had been lost and the event drew criticism. In a statement issued last September, they said: "We are appreciative of all those who enter into the spirit of the event, but sadly it seems to be a decreasing minority. Increasingly, there is an expectation that the fair is somehow delivered rather than contributed to by all. Organising the fair begins in January each year and the workload increases dramatically in the two months preceding it. It takes over the summer, leaving little time for anything else."
Last year's event made a triumphant return after an absence of a year, when the 2005 fair was cancelled after the break-up of the previous organisers, the Town Centre Promotions Group. St Catherine's Fair was revived in 1984 as part of the Frome 1300 celebrations and has been a popular event on the town's calendar ever since.
Mrs Waller said: "You can say that rules and regulations have strangled the event. It's all down to health and safety and the need for any stall holder taking part to have public liability insurance to be able to do so, and for us, as organisers, to have insurance to cover the event. The whole event is not cost-effective. It is a shame because it was something that was part of the community, but it is now impossible to do in a way that will foster community spirit. Where local people used to come and have a stall and take part, they now have to have insurance and so the community is no longer able to take part. We ran it safely for 21 years and have a proven health and safety record. It has become an incredible paper trail to organise and it is not viable. We have got a society where people are not responsible for themselves and if we hold an event we have to be responsible for every child that falls over."
After last year's fair, Mrs Waller and co-organiser Hilary Beardmore decided it would be their last because they both felt the event needed fresh blood and appealed for volunteers to come forward.
Mrs Waller said: "Even if someone came forward now it would be too late as it would be impossible for anyone to get the necessary licences. We had to ask ourselves whether we still enjoyed organising the event, and unfortunately the answer was no."
Mrs Beardmore and Mrs Waller became involved ten years ago when some of the initial impetus had been lost and the event drew criticism. In a statement issued last September, they said: "We are appreciative of all those who enter into the spirit of the event, but sadly it seems to be a decreasing minority. Increasingly, there is an expectation that the fair is somehow delivered rather than contributed to by all. Organising the fair begins in January each year and the workload increases dramatically in the two months preceding it. It takes over the summer, leaving little time for anything else."
(Standard & Guardian / News for Medievalists - 1 March 2007)
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