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and events : midsummer fair 16/12/10The Midsummer Fair takes place in Castle Bytham on a Sunday in June each year. High-Flying Family Fun for Free added 05/06/10 Look to the skies - Castle Bytham’s annual Midsummer Fair and Street Market on Sunday, June 20th has some high-flying family entertainment on offer this year. So park your car for FREE, browse the stalls for bargains, then make the most of our packed programme, which runs from 9am to 4pm. There’s a definite aviation theme this time round, with local pilot Neil Whatling giving a superb display of aerobatics in his super-fast SIAI-Marchetti SF260AM, a former Italian air force trainer and light attack aeroplane – which in its day was the fastest piston-engined light aircraft around. At 1.30pm the ancient castle mound will be the focus of his routine which incorporates beautiful sweeping manoeuvres and graceful wing-overs. In complete contrast, we are also expecting a flypast by the iconic Lancaster, Spitfire and Hurricane of the famous Battle of Britain Memorial Flight – this is always a stirring tribute to ‘The Few’ but even more so in this 70th anniversary year. Hopefully conditions will also permit some tethered hot air balloon ascents, and even if they don’t you can always dream of getting airborne by trying out the Harrier jump-jet cockpit for size. One of the new features for this year - and another that’s like to appeal to dad this Father’s Day, will be a collection of classic bikes. They’ll be lined up on static display and later in the afternoon it’s hoped they’ll take part in a cavalcade through the village. All the favourites are still here – the Duck Grand Prix, the Fun Dog Show, Morris Men, Classic Cars and of course our usually peaceful streets will be packed with a wide variety of stalls, selling everything from crafts and collectibles to bedding plants and bric-a-brac. There’ll also be a greater emphasis on live music, with something to suit all tastes. And this year, the fun won’t end when the fair closes at 4pm as the music will carry on into the evening and hopefully there’ll still be some beer left as well. This being a family event, there’s plenty to entertain the youngsters, and in addition to the popular traditional games and extended funfair, there are new attractions this year. There’ll be a fancy dress competition with prizes for the most original outfits, and visitors (of any age) can also have a go at rustic carpentry at the Funky Monkey Woodland Shelter, where you can learn how to work with 'green wood' using traditional skills and hand tools. Other additions for 2010 include a chainsaw sculptor, who will create a work of art before your very eyes, and then there’ll be a chance to buy it, and the two Bythams will be taking part in a hotly-contested tug-of-war. Meanwhile, perhaps in anticipation of all this activity, the beer tent and barbecue have been extended to include a hog roast and a Pimms tent. And don’t miss out on the delicious goodies in the Village Hall Café, where there’ll be bacon butties for the early birds and food throughout the day, including our legendary selection of home-made cakes. And in addition to all that our two pubs, the Castle and The Fox and Hounds, are each holding festivals and local produce features in the excellent Castle Bytham Stores, which will be open all day. The event is organised by volunteers from Castle Bytham and since 1998 it has raised more than £35,000 for local projects and charities. Castle Bytham is just three miles off the A1, midway between Stamford and Grantham. For more information visit www.midsummerfair.co.uk or get in touch via midsummerfair@googlemail.com. Castle Bytham is just three miles off the A1, midway between Stamford and Grantham. For more information visit www.midsummerfair.co.uk or get in touch via midsummerfair@googlemail.com. Royal Castle Bytham added 05/06/10 Kids love dressing up… and we’re hoping that on fair day (June 20th) there’ll be lots of little princesses and bold knights taking part in a very special Fancy Dress Competition. Girls and boys up to the age of six are invited to dress up to fit the theme of Royal Castle Bytham and they’ll be prizes for the best outfits. Entries are being taken during the morning – just give the names to the volunteers running the games in the Kids’ Zone on the Fair Field off St Martin’s Lane. The judging will then take place there at 11.30am. The prizes are being kindly sponsored by Natasha Leeding of The ‘Alternative’ Wardrobe fancy dress hire shop in Grantham in fond memory of her mother, Margaret Wolfe, who ran the business for many years. Family Fun for Free added 16/04/10 A great day out with the family won’t break the bank if you head for the lovely Lincolnshire village of Castle Bytham, which stages its annual Midsummer Fair and Street Market on Sunday, June 20th, from 9am to 4pm. Parking is free, and this year there’s even more than usual to keep you entertained. For one day a year the usually peaceful streets are bustling with bargain hunters sifting through stalls selling everything from crafts and collectibles to bedding plants and bric-a-brac. But there is so much more to this friendly and popular event… There are lots of new and improved attractions this year. There’ll be a procession of classic bikes through the village as well as the line-up of cars from yesteryear. The Lancaster, Spitfire and Hurricane Battle of Britain Memorial Flight should be giving us a flypast and there’ll be an exciting display by the Red Barrows…just like the real thing, minus the wings. Kids can have a go at rustic carpentry with the Funky Monkey team and a chainsaw sculptor will be carving out a work of art. Other new ideas include a fancy dress competition for the children and, for the adults, a hotly-contested tug-of-war. In addition there’ll be a bigger funfair, more traditional games for kids, more live music, an extended beer tent, barbecue and hog roast plus a Pimms tent. All the favourites will be there - the Duck Grand Prix, the Fun Dog Show, Morris Men, Chuckles the Clown and don’t miss out on the superb home-made food in the Village Hall Café. Our two pubs are also holding beer festivals and local produce features in the excellent Castle Bytham Stores. The event is organised by volunteers from Castle Bytham and since 1998 it has raised more than £35,000 for local projects and charities. Castle Bytham is just three miles off the A1, midway between Stamford and Grantham. For more information visit www.midsummerfair.co.uk or get in touch via midsummerfair@googlemail.com. Highlights include Lancaster, Spitfire and Hurricane Battle of Britain Memorial Flight flypast Cavalcade of Classic Motorbikes and Display of Classic Cars Duck Grand Prix Funky Monkey Rustic Carpentry Chainsaw Sculptor The Red Barrows Display Team - just like the real thing, only without wings Morris Men Live Music Funfair Traditional Games for Kids Children’s Fancy Dress Competition Beer Festivals and Pimms Tent Barbecue and Hog Roast Home-made treats in the Village Hall Fun Dog Show Harrier Cockpit Calling all Classic Bike Owners… added 16/04/10 The Castle Bytham Midsummer Fair and Street Market held on Sunday June 20th is organising a classic bike meet which will incorporate a cavalcade through the village. A special parking area will be set aside for all the classic bikes to be displayed. The fair is hoping to attract a good selection of classic motorbikes manufactured before 1985. They will add to an already varied programme of attractions at this year’s event, including classic cars, duck grand prix, Battle of Britain Memorial Flight flypast, Harrier cockpit, funfair, dog show, live music, beer festivals and much more. At 3.40pm the peaceful rural atmosphere will be temporarily shattered as owners rev up to join a procession through the village. If you would like to bring your classic bike to the event please register with Richard Tyler on 07748 842 507 or email richardtyler1963@btinternet.com. Get More Fun out of Your Fair added 04/02/10 Summer might seem like a long way off, but plans are already being made for this year’s Midsummer Fair on Sunday, June 20th. The decision to axe the parking fee for 2009’s event certainly paid off, as that – combined with wonderfully sunny weather – brought in a record number of visitors. The guys manning the car park reckon they dealt with at least 2,000 vehicles – and if you consider that most of those contained families, you get an idea of just how many people flocked to our lovely village that day. All of which helps to raise more funds for the benefit of our community – be that contributing to a children’s Christmas party or improving the appearance of our local amenities. The folks who take on the task of organising – we hesitate to call ourselves a committee because that sounds rather too formal – are hoping to build on last year’s success, and develop the fair’s reputation as a must-visit attraction for the wider area. We had some great feedback from people and were astonished how far some of them had travelled, one family even came from the other side of Lincoln. The programme is still being formulated but there are some interesting new ideas taking shape that will bolster the familiar favourites of the duck race, dog show and street market. We want to further develop the kids zone as this was a great hit last year, we’re trying to attract more live music, and there’s talk of organising a Red Barrows formation team …. that’s like the aerial version but with… you guessed it… wheelbarrows instead of jets. Someone even suggested a fancy dress theme for the whole village! It’s particularly encouraging that new people are coming forward to help make this a real community effort, but we’d be delighted to welcome even more. You don’t have to make a major commitment or attend regular meetings… we’d just like to hear from you if there’s something you’d particularly like to see included in the fair, or if you fancy lending a hand on the day, perhaps putting up bunting or serving teas in the hall for an hour. As a certain supermarket is always telling us… every little helps! Get in touch via our dedicated email address: midsummerfair@googlemail.com. FUN FOR FREE! added 08/06/09 Where can you find a great family day out… for FREE? Castle Bytham is holding its famous Midsummer Fair on Sunday June 21st and as an extra incentive to visit, the organisers have waived the usual car park charge. So now you can browse the street market and be entertained throughout the day – and it needn’t cost you a penny more than you’re prepared to spend. The Fair has become a keenly anticipated highlight of the summer in this part of Lincolnshire and it’s not hard to see why. For one day a year this normally peaceful and picturesque village bustles with bargain hunters sifting through stalls selling all manner of things from crafts and collectibles to bedding plants and bric-a-brac. But there’s much more to the event than this – for 2009 there’s an even greater emphasis on family entertainment, with fairground rides and lots of traditional village fete games for kids of any age to enjoy. This year the exhibition of classic cars looks set to bring in a record number of entries, while those who prefer four legs to four wheels, will be drawn to the fun dog show, which always attracts an impressive selection of our canine friends and their proud owners. The usual residents of the village pond will be making way for demonstrations of model boats, and you’ll get a chance to cheer on your own entrants in the annual duck race along the stream that flows in front of the castle mound – which is all that remains of a fortress built by Norman lords after the invasion of 1066. A reminder of a more recent conflict is provided by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight Spitfire which will doubtless stir up some memories for the older visitors during its flypast at around 3.30pm… and still on a military theme, there’s a Harrier cockpit display to inspect. The Rutland Morris Men are making a welcome return visit, and there’ll be other live music to entertain throughout the day. With so much to see and do you’ll need some refreshments and there’s plenty of choice, from beer festivals and a barbecue to home-made cakes in the village hall, where there’s also a Bygone Bytham photographic exhibition. In addition, our two fabulous pubs will be open and there’s local produce for sale in the excellent Castle Bytham Stores. The event is organised by volunteers from Castle Bytham and since 1998 it has raised more than £30,000 for local projects, charities and contributed towards the upkeep of St James’ Parish Church. The Fair opens at 10am (bacon butties in the village hall until 11am) and closes with a ‘Songs of Praise’ in the parish church at 4.30pm. Car parking is provided on the edge of the village and there’s a free shuttle bus to take you to the centre. We hope you have a fabulous day. Calling all stallholders and local businesses added 07/06/09 If you’d like to be part of the one of the best local summer fairs around, get in touch now. The Castle Bytham Midsummer Fair has been gaining in status for several years and attracts thousands of visitors on the day - this year there’ll be free parking so that should bring in even more potential customers. The organisers are busy collating their list of stallholders and spaces are running out fast… so if you want to guarantee your pitch, contact us via our new email address ASAP: midsummerfair@googlemail.com Local businesses Because this fair is run by the community for the community we want to help promote local businesses and to that end we’re considering a special section of stalls dedicated to showcasing the services and products on offer round and about our village. The annual fair provides a great opportunity for you to tell a wider audience what you do, so if you’d like more details about the cost of taking a stall - or advertising in our widely-distributed all-colour programme - please contact us via the above email address. Remember - when the going gets tough, the tough get advertising! It’s Your Day added 11/03/09 Summer might seem like a long way off as you’re reading this, but Castle Bytham’s Midsummer Fair is already shaping up to be a real cracker. Plans are well in hand – attractions are being booked and the programme is coming together – but there’s still room for manoeuvre. This event is organised by the community for the community and so it’s important that you have your say. The small team that undertakes the organisation is keen to hear your views – and so we’ve set up an email address specifically for the Fair. Tell us what you think about it – how do you think it could be improved? Do you want to get involved… we’d really appreciate any contribution you can make even if it’s just for an hour or two on the day? Having listened to comments from previous years, we have decided to scrap the car park fee for 2009 and hope this will encourage even more people to visit us for the day. Equally, in response to other suggestions, we’re going all out to get the kids more involved and build on a traditional village fair atmosphere. Highlights so far include the Rutland Morris Men, a vintage car display, music and beer tent, a Bygone Bytham photographic exhibition, a funfair and bouncy castle, the ever-popular dog show and a flypast from a Spitfire of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight. We’re working towards adding to this, and suggestions would be gratefully received. We’re aiming to have a good selection of old-fashioned fair games for the youngsters, like splat the rat and skittles, but we’d love to hear from anyone who has the appropriate ‘hardware’ for such attractions, or who would like to help run them. On a similar theme, does anyone know a good face painter locally? It’s something that always seems to go down well with the kids. So please help us to make this the best fair ever! Get in touch via midsummerfair@googlemail.com. Committee Reports updated 22/10/03 In most months the Midsummer Fair Committee publish a Report or Newsletter in the Glenside News. Recent Reports can be found by CLICKING HERE. Committee Contacts 05/06/10Chairman Rachael Barratt 16 High Street Castle Bytham NG33 4RZ Tel: 01780 411022 Email: srbarratt@tiscali.co.uk Vice Chairman Pat Beese 5 Pinfold Lane Castle Bytham NG33 4RG Tel: 01780 410595 Email: patrick.beese@virgin.net Secretary Peter Hinton 16 Cumberland Gardens Castle Bytham NG33 4SQ Tel: 01780 410968 Email: peterhinton2@btinternet.com Treasurer Geoff Booth Email: geoffbooth@aol.com  The Castle Bytham Village sign, unveiled at the Midsummer Fair - June 2002 |
 Midsummer Fair 2010Sunday 19 June 2011 from 8.00am* * When car park opens. Aerobatic display by Neil Whatling in his SIAI-Marchetti SF260AM Italian trainer Lancaster, Spitfire and Hurricane Battle of Britain Memorial Flight flypast Cavalcade of Classic Motorbikes and Display of Classic Cars Duck Grand Prix Street Market Funky Monkey Rustic Carpentry Chainsaw Sculptor Morris Men Live Music Harrier Cockpit Bigger Funfair Hot Air Balloon Traditional Games for Kids Children’s Fancy Dress Competition Beer Festivals and Pimms Tent Barbecue and Hog Roast Home-made treats in the Village Hall Fun Dog Show Model boat demonstrations in the pond It’s a great day - don’t miss it! __________________________________ Midsummer Fair Photo Galleries  Midsummer Fair 2003 includes pictures taken by Ian Miller Midsummer Fair 2009 |