Shoppers searching for that perfect present can take advantage of a feast of fine foods and gifts at the fourth Bury St Edmunds Christmas Fayre next week.
Bury St Edmunds will be buzzing with activity as thousands of people descend on the town centre to enjoy the entertainments and soak up the Christmas spirit. The three-day event begins at midday next Friday (30 November) and runs until 5pm on Sunday.
During the fayre, Angel Hill will be decked out with brightly coloured stalls, fairground attractions and a large stage for performances. Around 100 stalls (including 40 from France) will fill the area selling delicious food and traditional craft products. Close by, the Athenaeum will also be bursting with gift ideas, as will the Corn Exchange, in the town centre. Here, as well as up to 50 stalls, the much-loved local author Charlie Haylock will be signing copies of his classic Suffolk dialect books. The Lady Killers New Orleans Jazz Band will play on the steps and a magician will entertain the crowds.
If you are on the Angel Hill between 11am and 7pm on the Friday and Saturday or 10am and 5pm on the Sunday, you can catch some of the on-stage entertainment. The line up of great performances is listed in the Christmas 2007 brochure, available in town. And you may bump into Captain Jack Sparrow or a ten-foot tall snowman with a euphonium-playing Ebeneezer Scrooge.
The fayre attracts people for miles around and many will choose to drive into town. The closest car park to the fayre is Ram Meadow which is expected to fill up very early each day. Spaces in the other town centre car parks are listed on the big electronic displays. To avoid congestion, drivers are advised to use the park and ride services from Kempson Way, Moreton Hall and on Saturday 1 December only, from Olding Road, off Western Way. Buses will operate a 15-minute shuttle service to and from the town centre on the Saturday and Sunday of the fayre. The cost is only £1.50 per car, regardless of the number of passengers.
Please note: Angel Hill will be closed to traffic for four days. It will close at 9.30am on Thursday, 29 November, to allow organisers to set up the fayre, and will reopen at 9pm on Sunday, 2 December.
ENDS
Note to editors: The fayre will be open from 10am to 7pm on Friday 1 and Saturday 2 December, and from 10am to 5pm on Sunday, 3 December.
ISSUED BY SALLY EASTON, COMMUNICATIONS UNIT, ST EDMUNDSBURY BOROUGH COUNCIL. Tel: 01284 757046. sally.easton@stedsbc.gov.uk
