CALLINGTON’S Honey Fair was reinvented this year as Storm Amy threatened to cancel the beloved community event.

A yellow weather warning issued across the wider South West scuppered plans for all the outside elements of the fair. Determined not to let the local community down, organisers, the Callington Lions, worked through the night to save the annual celebration of all things bee, one of the biggest events in the town’s calendar.

After an emergency meeting, the decision was made to move elements of the festivities indoors into the Town Hall, and it was all Lions paws on deck to turn their ambitious plan around. The event duly went ahead as planned on Saturday, October 4.

A spokesperson said: “Limited space at the new indoor event the priority was given to stall holders who were small local businesses who rely on the income for a living and had been baking, creating and making produces specifically for that weekend which would otherwise mean a huge loss for them.”

The town pulled together despite the disappointment to provide a host of different indoor activities for people of all ages with the revamped ‘Buzz Off Amy’ event opening at midday to queues which had formed outside. Face painting, craft-making and the Callington Lions mascots Lenny the Lion and Bizzie the Bee entertained children, handing out hundreds of free gifts while the cafe did a roaring trade.

The spokesperson said: “Teas, coffees and bacon rolls were flying out of the kitchen faster than ever, stalls were selling so fast that some had to put in calls to home to bring more stock and the viewing and judging of the children’s art show, which had over 800 entries, commenced.”

Judges also braved the wind and rain to visit local shops to judge entries in the Shop Window Dress Competition on this year’s theme of ‘memorable moments’, choosing the newly-opened Callington Pre-Loved charity shop in the pannier market as overall winner.

Local employer The Cornwall Bakery, were on hand in the scout hut with pasty making, with the local community policing team perfecting their crimp, while musicians Andrew Dinner and Johnny Minshall completed a set in the hut then raced to the town hall for a further musical interlude.

The weather did little to dampen spirits at other Callington venues who continued with their Honey Fair plans. St Mary’s Church exhibit of the Cornwall ‘Speak Their Name’ Suicide Memorial Quilt, a powerful tribute stitched with love to honour lives lost to suicide, attracted a large crowd through the church’s bee arch decoratively festooned by the local This, That & Chat craft group with a competition to guess the number of bees.

Crafting and storytelling for the children continued throughout the day in the church’s cafe with a special appearance by Callington Lion, author Linda Cartwright to read the children stories of her own.

A Callington Lions spokesperson said: “The entire day went without a hitch, and with the whole thing planned in 24 hours a few hitches were expected. Feedback and comments were glowing. Vendors were beyond themselves with the success of the day.”