ROMSEY will no doubt be rocking to the music of a wide range of bands in its annual Beggars’ Fair this weekend.

Centred around the town’s Corn Market, the event in 2002 pulled large crowds into the town centre and pubs, many of which also had music in their bars.

It all added up to more than 12 hours of free music, dancing and fun for the people of the town and its surrounding areas.

Kim Groethus of the organising committee explained that the fair’s name was drawn up when the organisers decided they did not want one which restricted it to a single type of music, such as the Romsey Folk Festival.

“It was suggested that there had been an old tradition of beggars in the history of the town and that is why Beggars’ Fair was chosen,” she said.

Hampshire Chronicle: BEGGARS FAIR IN ROMSEY...DANCING IN THE STREET WITH MR BAKER'S DOZEN MORRIS.

And it certainly opened the doors to a variety of entertainers who included a group of young African dancers and musicians called Ballet Ngazo.

Children’s entertainer Gary Nunn, whose stage name was Ticklish Allsorts kept the younger element entertained while the top bands in town included Skellig, on stage of the Abbey Hotel, and Skimmington Ride at the Tudor Rose. Mrs Groethus also praised the town’s traders for their support for the event, which also had the backing of Hampshire County, New Forest District and Romsey Town Councils, as well as SouthWest Trains and Waitrose.

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