RAINBOWS coloured the skies around Tedburn St Mary on Saturday afternoon but most of the rain stayed away, giving people chance to wander around everything at this year’s Tedburn Fair.

There was much to see and do as well with the Donkey Derby coming up from Cornwall, the classic vehicles, three bands giving live music all afternoon, plenty of various refreshments, crafts, flowers, vegetables, the dog show, Terry Moules and his ferrets and more.

Some things were their first time at the Fair, others were well repeated friends. Even though the weather had not been too encouraging in the morning, people still flocked to the fair knowing there was plenty of cover if it should rain - which it did once or twice but a good cream tea or wild boar burger helped overcome that.

People who could not take cover though were the Air Cadets from Crediton and Exeter who did a good job as car park marshals.

Among the vehicles were members of the Ford Anglia 105E Owners Club as well as those from the Reliant Sabre and Scimitar Owners Club and other vehicles.

One that attracted quite a bit of interest was the shiny red 1957 International B250 tractor that had been won in a raffle by Matthew Collett a furniture maker and restorer from Venny Tedburn.

Matthew had won it last year with a ticket he had bought at a classic vehicle auction at Cullompton. The tractor was restored at Devon County Show by engineering students from Bicton College, the raffle being a fundraiser for BOAT (Bicton Overseas Agricultural Trust).

Known as “the little red giant”, the tractor had been donated by West Somerset contractor Paul Sawatzki. This was the 14th tractor completed this way and raffled, raising more than 38,000 which contributed about one-third of the training programme costs for the agriculturalists from Kenya and Malawi who came over this spring.

Matthew was delighted to win the tractor, not least because he used to help his uncle on his farm and his grandfather had been a farmer. Matthew had always dreamed of having a tractor.

One of the people Matthew met was local Bicton student Giles Wassell who had worked on the tractor at the show.

Among the demonstrations was local mobile farrier Stuart Taylor with Josh Jones, showing how they make the shoes for Beamish, the patient 15 years-old Shire horse who comes to the show for a set of shoes every year.

The Donkey Derby was lots of fun with the chariot races. From St Columb Major in Cornwall, this was their last appearance this season.

Kept busy was the Adventure Okehampton climbing wall that can be hired by schools or other groups.

Great fun was given by the bands - the locally-based FOS Brothers, Spin 2 and Adam Sweet and The Perfect Strangers plus Tedburn Community Choir.

Members of Tedburn Spinners and Knitters were showing some of their work. They meet every first and third Wednesday at Tedburn Football Club at Barley Park on the edge of Tedburn with the knitters meeting every second Tuesday.

Among the ladies at Tedburn were Mary Mallett and Eunice Cole who had been founders of the group with Heather Perry 10 years ago. Also spinning there was Dawn Swancutt who joined them four years ago.

Members of the fire service at Crediton had been busy through the afternoon showing how they would rescue someone trapped in a car. Also present were the police and St John Ambulance.

Terry Moules from South Molton charmed the crowd again with his ferrets, there was a chance to try archery with lots more going on, not forgetting the wonderful tea served by members of Tedburn WI.

Entries in the flower tent were up, a trend it was hoped would continue, including a number of new entrants while entries for the children’s classes had grow wonderfully with 33 more entries.

A new cup this year, the Milne cup for the most outstanding flower arrangement, was won by Janet Phare.

Ben Colvill did very well in the children’s classes winning the overall cup for 11-16 year-olds, the Harris cup, the Darren White cup, and the Roy Shilston cup for gaining most points in the children’s classes.

Caleb Fry and May Fry both won the cups for their age groups while Fraser Singleton won the Margot Samuels cup for children’s handwriting and five-and-a-half-years-old Laurel Edgar won the trophy for those below the age of 10 years.

Martin Rich’s dahlias won him two trophies. Linda Bellshaw won the Joy Finlinson cup for the most outstanding bloom and the Jengor Shield for gaining most points in the flower section.

Barbara Watkins took home the Tony Perry cup for the most outstanding craft exhibit as well as the Tedburn Fair cup for adult craft.

Marie Finlinson won the rose bowl for flower arranging, and the Tedburn Coaches cup for cookery. Trevor Smith won the Everest cup for most points in the vegetable classes.

Jennifer Kellager with her trug full of produce won the June Dudgeon trophy for the most outstanding exhibit in the flower and vegetable classes.

Vicky Hands won the trophy for the biggest pumpkin. The Milne Cup, a new trophy for the outstanding floral arrangement, was won by Janet Phare.

The fair was held in a field kindly lent by Mr and Mrs Snowden.

Sue Read