A soggy start for the Haverhill Festival

Haverhill Festival 2015 got off to rather a rain soaked start with three outdoor events which all went ahead despite the damp conditions.

Two shows by Chapterhouse theatre charmed audiences in East Town Park. Both went ahead in the rain and audiences stayed to enjoyed the performances of a new Sherlock Holmes mystery on Friday and The Secret Garden on Saturday.

The first part of a soggy Street Festival saw crowds encountering a very tall Victorian Flower seller (with a troublesome bustle), an unusual box with legs and an escapologist freeing himself from 100 metres of clingfilm in under one minute.

There will be more entertainment enlivening the town centre on Saturday, July 4.

Meanwhile, the Charity Jumble Sale organised by arts centre staff Mary Argent and Helen Barker raised £300 for St Nicholas Hospice Care.

Haverhill Festival organiser Nick Keeble said: “Over the past few years we have been very lucky with the weather but we were bound to encounter the rain at some point!

“We are grateful to those who did stay around to enjoy the shows and hope that we are in line for some sunshine in the weeks to come.”

Up and coming events include: The Kast-off Kinks (Wednesday, June 24); The All That Jazz Club with John Etheridge (Friday, June 26); drama, music and comedy from Roughshod; Irresistible in association with the River of Life Community Church (Saturday, June 27). This year the Last Night of the Festival Proms will take place at the Arts Centre on (Sunday, July 5).

Unfortunately, the advertised annual walk around West Town Park on June 23 has been cancelled and is to be replaced with a guided walk at East Town Park.

The grass and flowers at the West Town Park have been cut back by the Environment Agency so the usual displays of orchids and wild flowers are not there to see.

The replacement event will happen at East Town Park on Tuesday, June 23 at 7pm which will focus on the history of the park as well as the flora and fauna.