AN ECLECTIC day of music and dance took place in Tavistock on Saturday, when the TaviFringe Music Festival came to town – on the first day of carnival week.

The entertainment ran from early morning until 10 in the evening. Early morning rain soon dispersed and from then on it was sunshine all the way.

Following on from the success of the first Music Festival in the town last year TaviFringe wanted to make it bigger and better this year and it certainly was.

Lodestone Morris Dancers started the entertainment in the Guildhall square followed by an official opening of the day by town mayor Andy Hutton. This year saw entertainment in the Butchers’w Hall and St Andrew’s WI kindly ran a stall serving homemade cakes, teas and other refreshments which was a roaring success.

At the top end of the Pannier Market the ‘Busk Stop’ was another popular location for music as was the Guildhall square where people could get a refreshing drink from Stannary Brewery and the Gin Palace.

During the day the Tavistock Edge Players could be seen wondering around the Pannier Market in wonderful Victorian costume.

Grateful thanks go to the Robey Trust and their steam engine with the Sydenham Damerel Blowers providing mobile musical entertainment from their trailer as it proceeded round the town.

Music in the tented garden of the West Devon Club started at 1pm and went right through until 10pm. There was a very welcome barbecue at 1pm and thanks were extended to the very busy bar staff!

The TaviFringe organisers would like to thank their sponsors without whom this event could not be staged. They also offered a huge thank-you to all of the musicians on the day who drew large crowds in all of the locations around town. What a fantastic and joyous atmosphere there was.

Lastly TaviFringe would like to thank the people of Tavistock and visitors to the town for giving so generously in their bucket collection. All the money collected will enable TaviFringe to put on this wonderful music festival again next year.