Kegworth
Mike Elliott 0115 937 6506 elliottnews@btconnect.com EVENT SUCCESS. “It is just like the Carnival days in the past” was the opinion of 87-year-old George Wykes of Nottingham when he visited – along with hundreds more - the One Kegworth Family Fun Day and Food Festival in the newly regenerated SideLey Park at Kegworth.
Mr Wykes told the Echo: “I was a regular attender at the carnival as a friend of Mr Sibson who organised the Ox roasting and the event this year brought the old days all back to me. And there is also a steam engine that helped me think about old Kegworth”
This was the third year One Kegworthhas hosted the event and it looks now it will become an annual affair, just as the newly regenerated SideLey Park.
It was open to everyone and it again turned out to be a super community event which brought together so many people celebrate what the village offers.
Organiser Julie Cooke said they were delighted with the success of the event. “It was great to see so many people there and enjoying themselves.”
Car parking spaces in the village were difficult to find and several motorists could be seen riding round and round until they saw someone pull out of a space they had been using.
The event itself drew people from all parts of Kegworth and further field, with a predominance of family groups.
They were entertained by a wide range of activities including the dog show organised by the East Midlands Staffordshire Bull Terrier Club and which included, as well as Pedigree classes, a number of novelty classes such as the most handsome dog, the prettiest bitch and the best six legs with, in addition, a dog agility demonstration, music from the well-known Newhall Band and a Steel Drum Band and a return of the Vikings complete with live battles.
Billed as an event for the whole family, it lived up to its claim and the wide range of ages of those who attended the superbly renovated Park were obviously very happy at what they found, both from the actual Park itself with its planted areas and the activities on offer.
A number of local businesses supported the event along with the Sutton Bonington campus of the University of Nottingham and other local sponsors, with over 20 of them taking advertising space to allow the production of a full colour attractive printed programme.
One of the inflatable attractions was a giant slide for the youngsters, which was said to be the tallest in the country and attracted an almost non-stop steam of children wanting to test it out.
There were a good number of arts and crafts stalls and local businesses exhibiting for visitors, some offering fun and exciting activities for visitors to try.
After the success last year of the cookery demonstrations and competitions this was repeated again this year, with young chefs Darren Rogan and George Bennet supported by Kegworth’s own Robin Wilson. And they were complemented by the food fair in which the organisers had set up numerous food-selling stalls.
COMMUNITY LIBRARY. Woo-hoo ! The football World Cup starts on Thursday, June 14.
What do you mean, that’s nothing to woo-hoo about ? You’re not looking forward to the “greatest show on earth” ?
You don’t fancy at least three games of football on TV every day for over a month? Plus all the build up and endless analysis? Well then, the library is here to help you get away from it.
To avoid the afternoon matches come down to the library, enjoy a coffee, tea or hot chocolate for just £1 and browse our books or do a few pieces of our jigsaw. Why not have a look at our non-fiction section, You may find the inspiration for a new hobby (probably not football).
On Tuesdays you can join in with our Knit and Natter group, on alternate Wednesdays you can play bingo. As an alternative to the evening matches you can borrow books or a jigsaw to take home.
Kegworth Community Library – a football free zone! Although I will just whisper that if you do want to keep up with the scores we have free Wi-Fi and internet connected computers.