Musicians, brass bands and dancers took over the streets of Church Stretton for the second annual Summerfest which attracted well over 1,000 visitors to the town.

Town centre streets were closed on Saturday to allow activities such as a gliding simulator and belly dancing displays. In the evening people flocked to Rectory Field for a concert featuring 10K Runner, which performed at Glastonbury last summer.

Organisers have hailed the event, which attracted people from as far afield as Canada, as a success and have called on residents to step forward and help to run the event again next year.

It was organised by members of Church Stretton and District Chamber of Trade, and group chairman Jane van Doesburg said the event had helped to raise the profile of the town, the local community and businesses.

Spirit

She said: “The over-riding hope is that people visiting the town as a one-off will come back. People were saying throughout the day and the evening what a great community spirit there was and I think that really came through on the day.

“The streets were really busy during the day and it felt like we had more people at the evening concert than last year — I reckon we had around 1,000 people there. I do believe it will help raise the profile of the town. Luckily the weather stayed dry, which was a big help.”

Activities included a taiko drumming workshop, face painting, a gliding simulator run by the Midland Gliding Club and perfoamces from ukelele men, Little Rumba and Stretton School of Dance and Drama.

The Bedouin Shiver belly dancers also performed during the day and the evening, while local fundraisers trundled around the town in a bath to raise awareness for a campaign to raise cash for facilities at the town’s Mayfair Community Centre.

Other attractions included a model railway exhibition and craft demonstrations at the Mayfair Centre and a number of bands performed throughout the day in The Square.

By Peter Kitchen