Yesterday, Saturday 2nd July, I happened to be in Winchester for the annual picnic for the Southampton branch of Young Archaeologists Club; it also happened to be the annual Winchester Hat Fair, and the two together made for a lovely day in the sun!
Now in it's 36th year the three day festival celebrates street art in all shapes and sizes. I caught a few shows between picnicking and touring Winchester but the crowds made it very hard to get a good look!
The festival is family friendly so most of the shows had a comedic sense to them...
...Whilst others had a mission to save the world by turning their kitchen into a moving, musical instrument!
The festival spread across the entire town, but the main focus was in the Cathedral grounds. You couldn't walk down a narrow medieval road without bumping into a show, whether it be juggling by the Pentice on the Highstreet or a tango in the backstreets. The performers came from all over the world and showcased a wide range of talents, such as the French slapstick performers...
...Or just your dad being pulled up onto centre stage for some dance lessons!
Even inpromptu performances sprang up as friends came together over a pint of cider and a guitar session in the heat of an English summer, some in the most gentlemanly way possibly - pipe and all!
The weather really aided this event but if the sun shines next year I will be certainly packing a picnic (maybe a bottle of Pimms?) and heading to Winchester to enjoy the show!
No comments:
Post a Comment