THE third annual Bromyard Hop Festival was a great success according to organisers, attracting thousands of people into the town for a busy day of fun and activities.

Organisers say they are delighted with how it went, and though they don’t know how many people attended, the figure well exceeded last year, which was estimated as more than 3,000.

Festival chairman Ian Raven said: “We’re very happy because it’s only the third time we have held it.

“It’s definitely becoming a major event in the calendar.”

The festival was opened by Peter Amor, chairman of Wye Valley Brewery and his wife Fran, who also headed the parade along with the familiar sound of Bromyard’s town crier Peder Nielsen.

The parade contained vintage vehicles and tractors, some towing hop machinery or trailers full of fresh hops. A well-attended craft fair, including a hop store, operated throughout the day along with a blacksmith, fencer and caravan sign writer, while rock and folk performers played on the town green and also in the square.

The festival culminated with the World Championship Hop Pocket Race, with teams having to carry a two-metre sack of hops weighing 70 kilos.

The winning team was Sack Attack, who retained their title from last year, with an impressive time of two minutes 47 seconds.

Party Pockets retained the women’s title, and the Bromyard Army Cadets became the first junior champions.

The Teme Valley Brewery challenged other craft breweries to a race-within-a-race and the first winners of their Gauntlet Trophy were Hobsons Brewery.