"BRILLIANT, brilliant, brilliant," - a comment from the organiser of this year's Ludlow Medieval Christmas Fayre when asked how it had gone at the weekend.

"Obviously the weather wasn't kind to start with," said Pru Dakin. "But by lunchtime on Saturday it had cleared a bit and the crowds came in. People came expecting a good show and I think they went away thinking they had found what they were looking for.

"We had lively mediaeval entertainment and we had more going on in the Castle grounds than in previous years. All round, I think there was more music and entertainment," added Pru.

Everyone booked turned up at the weekend for the biggest-ever gathering of musicians and street entertainers inside the Castle walls. There were bagpipes, a hurdy gurdy, as well as the more refined music of the harp, rebec and mediaeval fiddle.

The Festival favourite, "No Strings Puppet Theatre" delighted audiences with their version of Robin Hood while the knights of The Plantagenet Society gave spectacular displays of armour-clad combat.

Bigger programme

This year the Fayre, Ludlow's fifth, worked closely with the Ludlow Assembly Rooms so that a bigger programme of music and entertainment could be arranged.

"This was a very successful collaboration," said Pru, "There were workshops and medieval music and so on and everything just linked together.

"Other organisations were involved too, for instance the Methodist Chapel had its Christmas Fair on the Saturday to coincide with ours and that made it even better for the visitors."

The fayre attracted people from all over Britain, including one coach load which came all the way from Lincolnshire. And there was even one lady who flew in especially from New York, said Pru.

"This lady had been in Ludlow last May and liked it so much she kept an eye on the Internet to find out what else was happening and came over again for the fayre."

Now this event seems likely to join the Ludlow Festival and the Ludlow Food and Drink Festival as a leading attraction in the town and an important date in the annual calendar.

"We think it will now go on and just get bigger and better," added Pru.