Residents in Buckingham have recently been entertained by a weeklong series of special events coordinated by Buckingham Town Council and supported by various local organisations and groups. Highlights included:
Jumble Sale
Residents bagged themselves some bargains at the Jumble Sale, from pre-loved toys, clothes, books, bric-a-brac and more. All money raised was split between the Mayor’s Charities (Buckingham Food Bank and Jedidiah UK) and the Salvation Army who kindly allowed use of their meeting hall.
Market Entertainment
Buckingham Community Pantomime cast members joined in the fun of the Fringe and performed three sketches from this year’s panto to the crowd that had gathered at the Saturday market, brightening up everyone’s morning despite the pouring rain.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish
The Film Place, in the University’s Vinson Centre, played host to a screening of Puss in Boots: The Last Wish. Parents and children alike enjoyed the blockbuster film following Puss in Boots’ epic adventure of searching for the mythical Last Wish.
Fun Day
Hundreds of families joined us on a sunny afternoon for traditional games, live music, inflatables, zorbing and much more at our annual Family Fun Day event at Lace Hill Sports & Community Centre. A big thank you to the local businesses and organisations who supported the day by running lots of free activities for the community to enjoy.
Buckingham Play Days
Excited children flocked to the first Buckingham Play Days session at Chandos Park to enjoy all the free activities on offer. There was a bouncy castle, scrap play, giant games; arts & crafts from MK Play Association; Puppetry from Pauline Quirke Academy of Performing Arts; and biscuit decorating from the Town Council’s Equality, Community Diversity, and Inclusion Working Group.
Basketball Sessions
The first of the eight free basketball sessions organised for this summer by Coach Jenner saw an amazing turnout to both the 8-12 and 13+ year old sessions; all pleased to learn or improve on their sporting skills. Find out more about the sessions.
Art in the Market
Lots of amazing pieces were created by people, young and old, who came to Art in the Market. Marvin from Lemonpop was also on hand to teach the budding artists street art skills, as well as how to use watercolours and other art materials.
Oxford Fiddle Group
With tunes from England, Scotland, Ireland and the USA, the popular Oxford Fiddle Group played to a toe-tapping sold-out audience in the Radcliffe Centre. Instruments included the fiddle, harp, concertina, and mandolin. The audience was treated to a performance of Appalachian dancing.
Crafts at Chantry Chapel
Crafts at the Chantry Chapel was a popular event with families. National Trust volunteers were kept very busy, loads of children thoroughly enjoyed making a mess, getting creative and learning new crafts in the oldest building in town.
Now and Then Theatre workshops
We were thrilled to team up with Now and Then Theatre this year to host some free creative workshops. It was a nonstop-packed day full of rehearsals which ended with a fabulous performance in a beautiful setting. It was a truly magical experience for the children and adults who watched and took part.
Comedy Night
Comedians Angelos Epithemiou, Fatiha El-Ghorri and Peter Rethinasamy entertained a large audience with an abundance of hard-hitting humour and wit. MC Peter Rethinasamy burst onto the stage and immediately got familiar with the people in the front row. Special guest Fatiha El-Ghorri told hilarious stories about her daily life, religion and how she finds being a woman. After the intermission, headline act Angelos Epithemiou took to the stage, Sainsbury’s bags in hand, and made the crowd roar with laughter for the rest of the evening.
Cllr Robin Stuchbury, Chair of the Town Centre & Events Committee said:
‘It was wonderful that we managed, with various community groups and the assistance of the Town Council’s events team, to put on so many different events in partnership with the community as well as a comedy night in partnership with Buckingham University’s Student Union. All our events were well attended and supported throughout the week, especially those for young people within the community. We look forward to starting planning for next year’s fringe week.’
