10 Years of Buckham Fair!

You may recall, last year we brought you a blog post on our local Buckham Fair, as Scout, the partially-sighted Lurcher, who features in our book For The Love of Scout, was a major winner at last year's event!

This year the event is back, celebrating its 10th anniversary in a show that promises to be bigger and better than ever! Organised by Martin Clunes and his wife, Philippa, on August 19, this popular vintage fair will once again be taking place just outside of the small town of Beaminster, in Dorset, and is sure to be just as successful as in previous years.

The hope, after this summer's event, is to hand over a cheque for more that £100,000 towards the building of a brand new cancer centre in Dorchester. Martin says: 

"We are so proud to support this appeal through Buckham Fair. Many of us have been affected by cancer, either personally or through those we love, so to be able to contribute to the brilliant work that the team at our own Dorset County Hospital is doing is a huge honour for us."

In honour of the show's 10th anniversary, a host of new events are being introduced including a Guinness World Record attempt to have the largest number of dogs sitting simultaneously on command. Let's hope the pups taking part don't try to be Men Behaving Badly! Speaking of which, Martin's co-star Neil Morrissey will once again be in attendance, as he will be judging 'The Dog even more like Neil Morrissey' competition. 

Tracey Ison, Scout and Martin from last year's fair (Photo courtesy Nicky Woods Photography)

A variety of horse, pony, and dog classes and events will run throughout the day, as well as there being a funfair, a classic car display, and a number of local artisan, craft and trade stands. To top it all off, the Food Court will be providing a variety of meals with locally-sourced produce, and will offer a range of vegetarian and vegan dishes, so you won't be stuck for choice!

If you are in the area this weekend, be sure to visit this fabulous fair, as after ten years the Clunes' have decide to take a break after this year and re-group – not just to allow the land to recover, but to give the locals a break from the "incredible patience" they have shown since 2008. For more information, ticket prices and directions, be sure to visit the Buckham Fair website.