Bad Weather A Blessing For British Plums

PLUM FESTIVAL FINALE TO FEATURE LARGEST VARIETY OF PLUMS

Ham-strung by the bad weather since it launched in July, the bad weather will prove to be the making of the Pershore Plum Festival’s 2012 closing ceremony. The festival’s Grand Finale, which runs over the entire August Bank Holiday weekend, will feature the largest selection of plum varieties ever, thanks to our terrible summer.

By the end of August, most varieties of plums have been and gone. This year, the persistent rain has slowed the plumripening process down by several weeks.

Visitors to the Festival will now be able to sample varieties including Victoria Plums, Pershore Purple Plums, Pershore Yellow Egg Plums and Czar Plums. Commenting on this result, organiser Angela Tidmarsh, said:

“Pershore feels like it’s won its own Olympic Gold For the first time ever, the Festival will feature all the different types of plums Pershore produces. However, there won’t be the quantity available so it will be a case of first come, first serve.

We’re not sure whether this blessing is down to the weather or our newly-appointed plum charmer who has been playing music to the plums as they ripen”.

The town’s shops, markets, pubs, restaurants and people all get into the Plum Festival spirit over the Bank Holiday weekend offering a variety of plum products for sale and on their menus.

Pershore becomes a sea of purple and most of the thousands of visitors who visit the Festival join in the fun by wearing purple from head to toe.

ENDS

‘The Big Plum’ at The Angel Inn is a big attraction serving plum ale and cider along with musical entertainment.

• The annual teddy bear parachute jump will be held at Pershore Abbey and in Abbey Park there will be one of the region’s largest ever gatherings of classic cars. St. Andrews Gardens, Church Walk and Plum Alley will all have a wide variety of craft and charity stalls selling plum products as well as the award-winning farmers’ market in Broad Street.

• The Plum Fun Zone on King Georges Field will host activities such as a climbing wall, canoeing on the river, archery, fair rides and river boat cruises and the Plum Parade will be bursting with arts, crafts and music.

• All day – Plum Alley – Plums, entertainment and Festival merchandise.
Plums and plum delights to sample and to buy; entertainment throughout the day; Festival merchandise.

• All day – River Boat Trips
Avon Leisure Cruises Ltd. Enjoy a relaxing boat trip on the River Avon on board “Spirit of Freedom” For more information call 01386 860988 or visit www.avonleisurecruises.co.uk

• All day – Broad Street
Award winning Farmers Market – browse and buy fresh, local and seasonal produce.

• All day – St Andrews Gardens and Church Walk
A plethora of stalls, many supporting local charities and all of them selling quality goods, including the sale of plums and plants
For further information contact Angela Tidmarsh 01386 565373 / 07967 640819 or visit www.pershoreplumfestival.org.uk

Angela Tidmarsh
Chair, Pershore Plum Festival
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