Topic ID 101
This may be about the only chance you'll get to offer sggestions for events to be included in next years Fun Day. We are going ahead with the usual stuff in Castle Grounds and Hertbeat in Salisbury Square complete with stage etc. Negotiations continue with fair which is not always as popular or welcomed as sometimes believed. If no fair in The Wash then there are some thoughts on bringing in Army to do things like haul tanks over a wall such as Edinburgh Tatoo. Cannot guarantee that anything here will be included but it will be good to know what residents think before next meeting. A similar note may find its way into the Mercury and/or Hertbeat but you have to start somewhere. Big brother is watching you.
Reply ID 517
We didn't go this year as we were on holiday. However, we have really enjoyed previous years days. As a family, we like the bouncy castle and inflatable slide type attractions provided they are not too expensive. We also like "arena display" type events such as the clown and the exploding car that we saw (I think this was at a Fun Day!).
Reply ID 518
Thanks. That was in 2002. We all thought the idea of the xploding car was a good idea. Expensive but we all had a touch of nostalgia. Kids events of the type you mention will always be provided in Castle grounds. Last year we had a mini go kart circuit. Go with this again this year and hoping to get the pony rides back.
Reply ID 521
Careful, you'll be accused of "car bashing" measures! (joke! :-) Is it possible to have a raft race or similar on the Lea? I don't know whether there's an area suitable.
Reply ID 523
Without being too facetious hope to have the Duck Race back this year. The Old Barge have traditionally run the raft race from Barge to Woolpack and back and I think that in one year there was a dragon boat race. Tom was keen on repeating this again in 2003 but I think the safety legislation was too much for him. The Inland Waterways people have been invited to put on an official narrowboat regatta in 2004 to complement the vintage buses and if so, there will be additonal stewards provided by them as required by safety rules. Therefore if the Barge wants to run the raft race again the problem of water, stewards and banks of the Lea may well be overcome. Will take this up again at next committe. Thanks.
Reply ID 526
Right, I'm new to Hertford so didn't realise there had been ones before - though should have guessed, sorry. Duck race...plastic ones, I take it? It would be good to get the IW people involved. There are (horse-drawn) day trip boats around (I think there are some on the Regents & Grand Union Canals in London), which may be worth bringing up for the day...?
Reply ID 528
I'd like to go on the river in a boat - do any barge companies do "afternoon tea" trips - or something like that? Hertford really should be celebrating its rivers more - what other town has 4 of them??????
Reply ID 529
This only (part) answers the former part of your post: the nearest ones that I know about are in North London. Is that any good? As for the latter, only one of them is navigable, and Hertford's at the top. However, check out some of the areas around the other rivers (the Beane has some lovely areas around Waterford for example where herons and kingfishers can be seen) to see that they are sort of "celebrated" in a slightly different way.
Reply ID 530
Some years ago I think on the intiative of the Town Council there were regular summer trips along the Lea from outside the Barge. Unfortunately it only went as far as the Basin at Mill Road. Ware do more extensive trips and were hoping to get either the landing stage or the boats adapted to take disabled people. I think this was a Ware TCMB initiative. Owing to the speed of the boat you can't go very far in an hour or so; as Hertbeat FM tried one weekday. However, as we are looking at liasing with the narrowboat people for Fun Day I think it would be a good idea if we could include some form of boat trip. This would dovetail very nicely with the vintage buses and hopefully a tethered balloon on Hartham.
Reply ID 531
So "Boats, Buses and Balloons" is the theme for Funday then!! ;-) Edited by - Steve on 24 Nov 2003 17:16:13
Reply ID 532
As someone has just emailed me: 'I don't know what the text abbreviation for everything crossed is, but consider it done.'
Reply ID 755
Hopefully the police will approve the latest event and road closure plan. This will allow Fun Day to go ahead. These plans rely on us being able to count on a large number of stewards. If anyone is connected to a local organisation and would like to help by providing stewards to man road closures and assist in crowd control we would be happy to make a donation in return, or to a nominated charity. Preferably stewards should be 18+ and we would expect no more than a 2 hour stint! No special skills are required other than a sense of humour and thick skin on the soles of feet. The road closures are the key to Fun Day but we also need people around the Hertbeat stage in Salisbury Square, to help with the tug of war and waiters race in The Wash and all the events in the Castle grounds. Individuals are also welcome to volunteer. If you can contact Castle in the first instance they will pass on my details or vice versa. Alternatively there will be an advert in the Mercury next Friday with contact details. As an advance request applications will be sought from all clubs, pubs etc for the Tug of War and the Human Table Football. I am also booking a reverse bungee and rodeo bull - not a real one, at least that's what the man told me. And for the less athletic there is a sort of Treasure Hunt which involves no more than a stroll around town answering a few easy(!) questions.
Reply ID 924
As usually happens about this time of year I start to panic. Fun Day still requires a number of people to volunteer as stewards on the day mainly for road closures and escort duties. If anyone out there belongs to a club/society etc and willing to provide any number of stewards for June 6 for a couple of hours I am willing to make a donation to same club/society of named charity. Other than that - Fun Day going according to plan, see above. Apart from the Human Table Football because I couldn't get a major sponsor to underwrite the shortfall between hiring fee and paying teams. Football had to run continously and there are other events that need time as well.
Reply ID 950
when is the fun day this year?
Reply ID 952
Hertford Fun Day 2004 - Sunday June 6. Officially opens at 1.00pm in the Castle grounds but ...... The vintage Bus Rally usually starts at about 11.30am; Hertbeat will have the music going from about the same time in Salisbury Square and in the castle grounds. There is a school pageant at midday in the castle grounds and the McMullens dray leaves Hartham Lane at about 12.15 with the Mayor and Face of 2004 aboard. Goes through the town to arrive at Castle about 12.45. At about this time Battle of the Young Bands should be getting under way in Salisbury Square. Trying to get the Rodeo Bill in Bircherley Green and Running Bungee in Castle underway a bit earlier than that if poss. Everything scheduled to end about 18.00pm. All roads into town will be closed except for residents and emergency vehicles and I have not opened Bircherley Green car park owing to the conflict with buses. On the other hand plenty of parking at County Hall. Hope that gives you all a brief overviw.
Reply ID 971
Also at the funday the Sea Cadet Corps (SCC) are doing a gun cannon display in FULL uniform which weill be loud and funny. Don't know what time though.
Reply ID 973
Well, the Sea Cadets is a new one on me!! As for my timings above - all wrong!! Watch this space.