May Festival - Mon 28 May 2007

The May Fair was cancelled in 2007 due to problems with the contract for hiring the playing fields. A smaller replacement event (see www.mayfestival.org) was organised at short notice where over 100 volunteers organised 50 performances across 11 venues and raised £1200 for charity despite terrible weather conditions.

The Wivenhoe May Festival was a series of simultaneous events at venues around Wivenhoe, running from 12-6pm on Bank Holiday Monday 28th May 2007. Entrance to the venues was free.

There was more than 36 hours of entertainment for people of all ages and interests including over 50 live performances of music, comedy and poetry, including Fuzzface, Silverlight Reaction, The Mined, Red Sky Rebel, Mike Trim, Adrian Nation, Whirled Music, Nublues Unplugged, Martin Newell, Some Best Friend, Trilogy, Thud and Blunder and many many more! There was also market areas with the usual array of festival hats, veggie burgers and jewellery, as well as a Farmer's Market at the William Loveless Hall.

The venues include all the pubs, Wivenhoe Bookshop, The Bakehouse, and the William Loveless Hall. The King George V playing field was not used for any events.

The festival raised money for charities including the Wivenhoe Christmas Lights, Colchester Cat Rescue, Wivenhoe Community Bus, Over 60s Club, Colchester Night Shelter, St Johns Ambulance, Activate, The Russ Foundation and Amnesty International.

The festival was organised and coordinated by Wivenhoe residents.

The problems with the contract which prevented the 2007 event going ahead have now been sorted out and the May Fair is back on the fields in 2008.

Photos by Jon Chamberlain