Traders of the storm

Blisworth Festival 2019

August 2019

This is the eighth year we have traded at Blisworth and our third with the Jam Butty, and still it manages to throw up something new.

Now to put this event into a bit of context, Blisworth is a small Northamptonshire village between Northampton and Towcester tucked in between the West Coast Mainline and the M1, but as it is nestled into its very own sleepy hollow in the rolling landscape, the noise from both is barely audible.

The only photo I took, assuming it to be the last anyone would see of the CRT gazebo

Every year this little village built largely of Costwold Stone and topped off with traditional thatch plays host to one of the most unexpected events of the summer season - the Blisworth Festival. There is no big draw at the event, but rather it comprises a multitude of small stalls and displays put on by artisans, crafts people and enthusiasts. In many ways it's like a village fete, but on steroids. 

It's an open event, so its free to attend and thanks to a very supportive community the parking is free as well. As a result visitors show up in their thousands every second weekend of August, sometimes up to 60,000 of them if the estimates are to be believed. If you want to see what is available have a look at the Blisworth Festival facebook page.

There is something very English about this event and 2019 certainly highlighted the Dunkirk spirit for which we are famed. As the weekend approached all eyes were glued to the weather forecasts - a storm was coming. Now sometimes the forecasters are prone to being a bit over cautious in their warnings, but for days in advance the prediction was consistent - extreme wind on Saturday, gusting to 60mph with a real risk to life. Festivals in the South west were cancelled but the Blisworth Partnership took it in their stride and merely decided to stop the use of all gazebo's in the exposed Festival Field. This is Health and Safety gone wise.

You would think that this was enough to put visitors off, but no. They flooded in, albeit in slightly reduced numbers. Whilst the exposed field was a bit spartan, the more secluded canal towpath, the village streets and indoor venues were pressed into service and nothing, not even gale force winds, was able to dampen the spirit of the event.

From our perspective, by Candle Bridge, the winds raged about our strapped down gazebo but neither our, nor the CRT gazebo opposite, blew away and we managed to trade our way through the storm. 

I cant say much for the rest of the event because we didn't see it. A tidal wave of preserve lovers overwhelmed us and we never managed to leave the confines of the butty. 

If it is a bit quieter today (Sunday) I may get a look around and take some photos - but maybe not.....