Festival of fun is just the ticket for almost 10,000 fans

AROUND 10,000 tickets have been sold as the Bollington Festival gets into full swing - with not long left to enjoy the action.

The extravaganza kicked off on May 10 with its final day on Bank Holiday Monday, May 27.

By the time it finishes there will have been more than 100 events and as of the beginning of this week 9,665 tickets had been sold.

There have also been a range of free events and so far highlights have included a parade on May 11, a dog show, a sell-out concert by Oasis tribute band Oasish and a talk by broadcaster Nick Robinson.

Members of the organising committee have been delighted with how the festival has gone so far and say there is still plenty left to enjoy.

Chairman Jon Beck said: “It has gone incredibly well, the weather has been reasonable and the atmosphere phenomenal.

“The town goes mad for the festival and we have sold tickets to people from as far away as Northern Ireland, London and Devon.”

Among the events still to come is a final day picnic at Bollington Recreation Ground which will be followed by a sell-out Pink Floyd tribute concert that brings down the festival curtain. There is the Periodic Table Scarecrow trail that has 20 scarecrow dotted around Bollington.

Each one represents an element off the table, for example the calcium scarecrow is made from milk bottles. Macclesfield explorer Benedict Allen will give a talk about his adventures across the world on Sunday, May 26, and former Fairground Attraction singer Eddi Reader will perform on Saturday, May 25.

The Cheshire Villages Great War Society will host a free commemorative exhibition at the Methodist Church, on Wellington Road, on Saturday, May 25, from 10am to 5pm.

‘Lest we Forget’ will remember men from Bollington and surrounding villages that lost their lives.

Jon has paid tribute to the team of volunteers who help plan and marshal the festival, thanking them for their efforts.

All those who have provided financial assistance have also been thanked, particularly Bollington Town Council and packaging company Proseal.

For more information and for tickets visit www. bollingtonfestival.org.uk.

Pictures provided by members of Bollington Photography Group: Janet Beech, Simon Nottage, Martin Rix, Patrick Scanlon, John Howarth, Terry Heathcote, Karen Lomax and Andrew Huggett.