BUDE Castle and the surrounding area were brimming with people of all ages last Sunday, July 30, when the annual Bude Heritage Festival took place, writes Christine Williams.

It coincided with the tenth anniversary of the opening of Bude Castle — once the home of inventor Sir Goldsworthy Gurney — as a Heritage Centre. Organised by Bude-Stratton Town Council, this community event celebrated and showcased the people, places, inventions and achievements of the town and wider Cornish culture as well as providing an enjoyable family day out.

The day began with the threat of rain but once the crowds of visitors began to arrive and the mayor of Bude, Peter Moores, had welcomed special guests including the mayor, mayoress and Beadle of Bideford, the mayor and deputy mayor of Launceston and the deputy mayor of Okehampton, it was sunshine all the way.

John Collacott on the PA system kept everyone informed about what was happening and on the bandstand Bude Town Band, guitar virtuoso Aidan B and Bude Metric Brass provided musical entertainment throughout the day.

There were tours of the permanent displays on the history of the area within the castle while outside in a large marquee were more displays on the history of the castle, the old forge and the railway age as well as ‘Project Limelight’, which led to the opening of the castle as a heritage centre.

In both venues examples of the work of local artists, makers of handmade jewellery and clothing attracted admiring attention.

The Bude Old Cornwall Society had a stall and on the Barkside lawn at the Trevithick Society stall visitors could choose from a wide selection of books on the industrial archeology and railways of Cornwall as well as core samples from South Crofty.

The presence of the Bude Canal and Harbour Society and the Bude Canal Trust were reminders of how the precious heritage of the canal and harbours is being preserved and extended, not forgetting the efforts of ‘Save our Sea Pool’ to preserve the valuable asset.

A number of local charities and organisations were present including the Children’s Hospice South West, Cancer Research Friends of the Earth, the RNLI as well as the WI and Freemasons.

There were animal charities too: the Cornwall Wildlife Trust, the Cats Protection and the Animal Free Charity, which campaigns to replace the use of animals in medical research. Appropriately nearby, a Family Dog Show organised by Tamar Vets provided a lot of fun and attracted a good number of canine entries, competing in classes such as ‘Prettiest Bitch’ and ‘Waggiest Tail’.

At the end a collie called Storm, owned by Sally Bewsey, emerged as ‘Best in Show’ with a Pomeranian named Dolly, owned by Kate Holling as ‘Reserve’.

A bouncy castle and a funfair with a chair-o-plane and swing boats provided plenty of entertainment for children. Then there was Mr Showers’ circus workshop teaching skills such as juggling, hoola-hoops, walking on stilts and holding the attention of young and old was story teller Mazed North with her tales of North Cornwall.

At Linda Moran’s herbalist stall children made herbal bath bombs before setting off on a walk to gather and learn about the properties of herbs along the canal.

The opportunities in Bude for keeping fit and leisure were demonstrated by a surf simulator in the Parkhouse and on the stage of the Ivor Potter Hall by the energetic members of the Bude Jive Club performing to the strains of ‘Shake, Rattle and Roll’, followed by more senior citizens exercising for mobility.

Outside the Parkhouse a model T Ford was the oldest vehicle from the Bude Motor Club while inside there were excellent models of boats, planes, even sci-fi spaceships and commercial vehicles brought by the Caen Model Club. Across the road several stationery engines including a 1932 Ruston Hornsby, once used to drive a cornmill, were chugging away merrily.

Apart from the cafes in and outside the castle the Cornish Crepes marquee did a roaring trade, Ann Raymond’s confectionary stall had a tempting array of sweets and candy and members of Holsworthy and District Lions Club dispensed hot dogs and burgers which could be washed down by a traditional light ale from the Bude Brewery stall in the marquee.

As the crowds departed and the stalls were taken down Cllr Moores expressed his delight that people had been able to enjoy themselves in fine weather.

He said: “The festival has shown Bude and Stratton at their very best and visitors have told me how fortunate we are to have such a wonderful public facility as our Heritage Centre.”