Appleby Horse Fair 2012
The Gathering of the Clans and Horse Fair
Our normally sleepy little town of Appleby in Westmorland, has a rude awakening once a year.
Appleby in Westmorland, Cumbria, England. (Population 2,500 )
The 1st week of June........ Population over 20,000
This makes me smile , so much , even laugh out loud.!!!
WHY DOES THIS MAKE ME LAUGH?
As all my regular readers know I am not a big fan of living in the countryside, where there aren't even any shops. Beautiful it is , yes. No argument there, but I like to hear LIFE going on around me..
Once a year , when many of the locals lock up their homes and ´Get outta Dodge´´
Also a time for many local people when it is the ONLY time they lock their doors........
For me....HEAVEN...... People all over the place , overflowing pubs , long queues in the tiny grocery store. and COLOUR!!!! Boy ! Do the travelers know how to wear colour. I love it.!!
This year there was a terrific down pouring of rain on the day before the fair was setting up. You can imagine the muddy field. Worthy of any rock festival where kids roll in the mud.
It didn't spoil any of the fun though, everyone just wore their wellies.
The travellers come from London and the East coast, from Ireland, from the south of England , just about anywhere.For one week they have races, buy and sell and generally catch up with extended families. It´s also the perfect time for the young ones to look out for boyfriends/girlfriends. It is rather frowned upon to marry outside of the travellers way of life.,
Many people who have always lived in this small town/village of Appleby, are afraid of the ´gypsies´and alas expect trouble, but from what I've seen so far the only trouble is a drunken fight among themselves. None of the travellers really bother the locals. It´s just that there are so many of them. 20.000 is a very moderate estimate.
The week goes all too quickly for me. I just get used to the sound of trotting hooves below my window, and suddenly it is all over....... Till next year. It´s the only place to be during the 1st week of June.
