PICTURES and VIDEO: Tavistock Goose Fair sees big turnout, but only two geese
The sellers pulled out all the stops, trying to bring some of the visitors to the annual Goose Fair in Tavistock to stop at their stalls.
Tea towels were 'West-End' quality but sold at 'East-End' prices by an elderly salesman, sporting a leather hat and a clear London accent.
Another salesman offered what he called 'one day only prices,' before coming to his senses and adding:
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"Well, I know this market is only on for one day, but you know that is not what I mean."
All told there were well over 200 stalls selling any- and everything to what seemed like more than ten thousand visitors at the Goose Fair.
The Goosey Fair, as it is known locally, is one of only two of its kind in all of Britain, the other taking place in Nottingham. It dates all the way back to the 12th century and was originally the day farmers brought their Christmas geese to town to be sold.
Today, part of that tradition goes on at the Tavistock Livestock centre, where a number of birds are sold at auction.
However, at the main fair the only two geese to be found were at the Tavistock Rotary Club's stand. Children and adults alike could try put in a small donation and try to guess the geese's' combined weight. Whoever got the closest would win a prize.
"Over the years we have had a lot of different guesses. I think the lowest was a combined weight of six pounds. The highest guess was 104 kilogrammes (nearly 230 pounds, ed.). If that had been right, I would have been pretty scared of those geese," Robin Wilson from the Rotary Club said.
He added that many of the local communities and organisations had stalls or booths at the fair, making it a welcome source of income for their charitable work. His fellow Rotary, David Tout, added that the fair helped generate interest in the town of Tavistock.
"Something like this puts our town on the map," he said.
Selling flowers and various vegetables at one of the stalls was Karen Hill from Van der Hills Nurseries.
"We have been coming to this event for the last 30 odd years now. We do various similar events all over the place, but for me this one is the best one day fair in the country," she said.
See pictures from the Goose Fair here:
Gallery 1
Comments
by star2sparkle
Thursday, October 11 2012, 9:07AM
“It is all to do with making money not tradition”
by jabbathebutt
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 11:50PM
“Well done to the video and the band behind the film..... but to be honest ? To go there and wander about with fake stalls and tatt and 3 quid burgers ? No thanks .”
by Nanny2010
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 9:01PM
“Tell you what Marc, you've missed naff all, unless you like 3 miles of cling film for £2, cheap batteries, fake goods and all manner of other filth. For the record, Goose Fair is the second Wednesday in October, repeat this to yourself (so that it goes in) and then you can tell all your friends tomorrow. Don't thank me babes, it's all good”
by marc1964
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 6:53PM
“Typical S/W no one i work with or in the same street as me new this was on , no adverts in local papers , no local radio adverts . I would love to have gone ,”
by leroc
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 5:53PM
“Plenty of geese on sale if your reporter went up to the cattle market. Yes the fair is mostly tat but the stalls and demonstrations at the cattle market were quite interesting. By the way the locals have always called it Goose Fair, never goosey!”
by BettyD
Wednesday, October 10 2012, 5:12PM
“Now it's a tat paradise with fairground quality stuff,it's long had its day”