Grand day for village

The Clifton upon Teme grand summer fete raised a massive £3,500 for its community hall and the Early Years Centre, a childcare centre in the village.

As the mercury hit 30C degrees last Saturday, belly dancers girated, line dancers boogied and ice creams melted at the fete, which had been opened earlier in the day by TV presenter John Yates, from BBC Midlands Today.

Hundreds of people turned up and enjoyed a packed programme of entertainment in the main arena, which included a tug o' war and children's races.

A pig roast, bar and teas were particularly popular on what was the hottest day of the year so far.

"Craft and cake stalls, bouncy castles, the fortune teller and many other side shows, games and competitions also did thriving business," said Rosemary Collie, one of the organising committee.

"And there was no shortage of takers for the pony rides, archery and quad bikes. Needless to say, the sun shone and a great day was had by all!"

The Early Years Centre was created by a group of villagers and opened its doors in January 2002. Fund-raising provides extra toys and equipment for more than 60 children registered at the centre to create an educational and fun environment.

The village hall is an important community facility but is in need of significant repair and restoration.

"We have a 17th Century building, a memorial hall built in 1922 and a 1970s entrance," said Mrs Collie.

"We are now trying to make better use of all the space, preserve the older buildings as part of our heritage for the future, and bring the whole lot up to a standard suitable for the 21st Century.

"This is a major project that is going to cost over £300,000. We have already secured £60,000 towards the total, so the proceeds from the fete will be another very important contribution towards this."

The two charities decided to join forces to organise the fete.

"This was a great idea as it brought together some of the older and younger people in the community," said Mrs Collie.