Sir, – What a festival! And what a terrific job Hamish Donaldson, Don Stacey and their committee and team of volunteers have done in ensuring that the third Haslemere Festival has been the most successful ever.
It has been a fortnight of fun and entertainment for the whole community, as well as attracting visitors from quite a wide area. From the fantastic Pam Ayres evening, the Flanders and Swann tribute and the many classical concerts to the lectures and events for children and families, the whole programme has been a triumph.
The Tennyson weekend too drew a large following and the Bank Holiday Monday festivities, helped by the glorious weather, were enjoyed by around 3,000 people. It is doubtful whether Lion Green has ever held such a diversity of attractions including a revival of the donkey derby, the vintage car display (how great to see the large entry from our twin town in Bernay), the film stunt crew, the army assault course, etc, etc. These all added up to one of the best events in the town ever.
Haslemere may be a small country town but it has proved that it has a disproportionate number of people who are willing to spend months planning and executing the festival for the enjoyment of other residents. We should be grateful for and proud of their great achievements these last two weeks.
Fay Foster, Courts Hill Road, Haslemere