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In pictures: Thriplow Daffodil Weekend & Country Fair attracts 12,000 visitors




So popular is the annual Thriplow Daffodil Weekend & Country Fair that the event, which has been running almost continuously since 1966, sold out before the first visitor had arrived.

Festival chairman Paul Earnshaw, said that 80 coaches – 40 on each day of last weekend – brought thousands of people to the picturesque South Cambridgeshire village.

Thriplow Daffodil Weekend & Country Fair. Picture: Keith Heppell
Thriplow Daffodil Weekend & Country Fair. Picture: Keith Heppell

“It was lovely, we welcomed 12,000 visitors into the village,” said Paul. “There’s only 350 of us in the village so obviously it has a massive impact.

“But everyone went away happy. Saturday was beautiful, we had some rain on Sunday morning which then cleared away, and then the Thriplow atmosphere shone through.”

Victoria Bowers from Caring Together, one of the charities benefitting from this year’s event. Picture: Keith Heppell
Victoria Bowers from Caring Together, one of the charities benefitting from this year’s event. Picture: Keith Heppell
Bob Kowalski with his original USA police patrol car. Picture: Keith Heppell
Bob Kowalski with his original USA police patrol car. Picture: Keith Heppell
Thriplow Daffodil Weekend & Country Fair. Picture: Keith Heppell
Thriplow Daffodil Weekend & Country Fair. Picture: Keith Heppell
Thriplow Daffodil Weekend & Country Fair. Picture: Keith Heppell
Thriplow Daffodil Weekend & Country Fair. Picture: Keith Heppell
Thriplow Daffodil Weekend & Country Fair. Picture: Keith Heppell
Thriplow Daffodil Weekend & Country Fair. Picture: Keith Heppell

One of the highlights at the festival was a type of daffodil named ‘Madam Speaker’, in honour of former House of Commons speaker Baroness Betty Boothroyd, a former resident of the village, who died in February last year at the age of 93.

“When we got the news that sadly she’d died, we wanted to create a memorial to her in the village,” said Paul, “and we thought it’s got to be Madam Speaker daffodils.

“And so we went and bought the entire world stock of Madam Speaker bulbs, and it turned out there was only 30 in existence.

“So we’ve got those and we’ve planted them up; we’ve kept some in a relatively secret location so that we can propagate them and bring them back to full availability, but we put some of them on show for our visitors as well and they seemed to attract a lot of attention.

“Our plan is that we will get more of these bulbs and then create a proper display in honour of Betty.”

Thriplow Daffodil Weekend & Country Fair. Picture: Keith Heppell
Thriplow Daffodil Weekend & Country Fair. Picture: Keith Heppell
Thriplow Daffodil Weekend & Country Fair. Picture: Keith Heppell
Thriplow Daffodil Weekend & Country Fair. Picture: Keith Heppell
Thriplow Daffodil Weekend & Country Fair. Picture: Keith Heppell
Thriplow Daffodil Weekend & Country Fair. Picture: Keith Heppell
Thriplow Daffodil Weekend & Country Fair. Picture: Keith Heppell
Thriplow Daffodil Weekend & Country Fair. Picture: Keith Heppell
Thriplow Daffodil Weekend & Country Fair. Picture: Keith Heppell
Thriplow Daffodil Weekend & Country Fair. Picture: Keith Heppell

Over the years, half a million daffodil bulbs have been planted around Thriplow.

“We’ve been planting continuously for 56 years now,” said Paul, “and we plant every year more and more just to keep the stock up, so we planted a further 50,000 this year.”

The event – relying on more than 350 volunteers – raised an impressive £70,000 for charities and community projects.

Thriplow Daffodil Weekend & Country Fair. Picture: Keith Heppell
Thriplow Daffodil Weekend & Country Fair. Picture: Keith Heppell
Thriplow Daffodil Weekend & Country Fair. Picture: Keith Heppell
Thriplow Daffodil Weekend & Country Fair. Picture: Keith Heppell
From left, Jan Clarke, Mark Brogan and Mary Lindgern. Picture: Keith Heppell
From left, Jan Clarke, Mark Brogan and Mary Lindgern. Picture: Keith Heppell
Thriplow Daffodil Weekend & Country Fair. Picture: Keith Heppell
Thriplow Daffodil Weekend & Country Fair. Picture: Keith Heppell
Thriplow Daffodil Weekend & Country Fair. Picture: Keith Heppell
Thriplow Daffodil Weekend & Country Fair. Picture: Keith Heppell

[Read more: 19 pictures of the Thriplow Daffodil Weekend & Country Fair]

For more information, visit thriplowdaffodils.org.uk.



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