Published at 11:27, Wednesday, 06 June 2012

Tomorrow the population of Appleby will grow to around 12 times its usual size – just as it has been doing every June for around 300 years.

By Stephen Blease

Some 40,000 visitors are expected to descend upon Appleby-in-Westmorland for the week-long and world-famous Appleby Horse Fair.

At least a quarter of them will be gypsies from across Europe and it’s one of the most important dates in their calendar – a chance to meet and do business, to put horses on display and buy and sell animals and goods.

Many of the gypsies arrive in traditional, horse-drawn carriages and the event always puts Appleby in the news, as its county councillor Martin Stephenson points out.

“We’ve had comments from people who have seen it on television on the other side of the world,” he reports. “I’ve heard from people in California who saw it on the news there.

“It’s almost unique. There are only a handful of fairs like this still operating.”

He believes TV programmes such as My Big Fat Gyspy Wedding have led to greater interest in gypsy culture and says: “If people are interested in horses it’s a great place to come and see some unusual breeds.”

However the event is not without its problems. In 2007 a horse drowned during the traditional washing ritual in the River Eden and in 2009 two dogs died sweltering inside a car in hot sunshine.

The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals carefully monitors the event and has sometimes had to issue verbal warnings to people working their horses too hard or using whips excessively. Counterfeit goods have been seized by police at past fairs and there have often arrests for disorder and assault, though Mr Stephenson points out that safety and security have improved in recent years.

Last year there were 48 arrests, mostly for minor offences, compared with 62 in 2010 and 110 in 2009, so he is optimistic that we will see be further improvements this time.

“Last year’s fair was regarded as a success,” he says. “Now all this year’s advance work has been done and on the whole the anticipation is that it will be safer now.”

He advises visitors to exercise the same care as they would among any large group of people.

”Make sure you keep your wits about you, don’t take all your valuables out and come prepared for the weather.”

To ensure that it does run smoothly, all the different bodies concerned have teamed up to form a multi-agency strategic co-ordinating group.

It comprises district and county council staff, the police, the emergency services, the RSPCA and representatives of the gypsy communities and is chaired by Robin Hooper, the chief executive of Eden Council.

He accepts that not everyone in Appleby welcomes the arrival of the fair. “I think you’ve got a mixture of views. Some people look forward to it and some just regard it as part of the way of life.

“We hope that people will enjoy themselves, whether they are travellers or visitors who have come to see what the fair is all about, while being respectful to the local community.

“A lot of work has been done by a lot of people to make it work, so we are really grateful to them.”

Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk