Architectural tour
Despite the heatwave, a full house enjoyed the cool interior of the parish church during a guided tour by local architect Warren Whyte. He described the relocation of the church onto Castle Hill in 1780 and the structural problems of the 1850s that then led to the full transformation of the Georgian church into the Victorian Gothic church but George Gilbert Scot. The tour included stops in the nave, chancel and tower before concluding with a Q&A over a glass of wine.
Fringe Week Quiz
Residents brushed up on their local knowledge and joined quizmaster Mikey Dyson-Smith in the Woolpack to take on Buckingham Town Council in this extra special quiz to celebrate Buckingham Fringe Week.
Mikey Dyson-Smith said “There were 7 different rounds. Picture Round, General Knowledge, Buckingham, The Knowledge, Sports, Animal Kingdom, Wipeout. There were 14 teams in total with around 85 people taking part. Not an empty seat in the whole pub.”
Art in the Market
Creativity abounded at Art in the Market – a first for Fringe Week, this event brought local artists, professionals and amateurs, together in the ancient cattle pens to unpack their paints and pencils and create works of art. Attendees were inspired by the spaces around them, their memories or worked entirely from their imagination!
Visiting artists included renowned mouth painter Keith Jansz, representative of Buckingham Art for All, Emily Pool and Jonquil Bennet.
On the other side of the Old Gaol, Town Council staff and some passing volunteers created a 4 by 5 metre giant swan, entirely out of rag fabric lent by Florence Nightingale Hospice Vintage Charity Shop. The temporary art piece was inspired by Art Attack and The Flosh in Buckingham.
Over 336,000 tonnes of clothing are thrown away each year, and donating even tired clothes and fabric to Charity Shops is a step toward them being utilised or recycled rather than contributing to landfill. As part of Buckingham’s Climate Emergency Action Plan, the Council encourages residents to find new uses for their waste where possible.
Market Entertainment
Sunshine, magic and music delighted Saturday shoppers in town at the weekend as Fringe Week drew to a close. Children’s magician, Simon Says, kept families thoroughly entertained outside the Old Gaol with lots of fun magic and laughter. While local musician, Udo Dolz serenaded shoppers at the Flea Market with his classical guitar melodies.
Fiddle Group refunds
Tuesday 19th July turned out to be the hottest day on record, with temps reaching 40C. A decision was taken to postpone the Oxford Fiddle Groups performance which was due to take place that evening. A refund has been offered to all those that had purchased tickets. The performance will be re-scheduled for later on in the year.
Councillor Robin Stuchbury, chair of the Town Centre & Events committee said “at the end of the Fringe week it’s always good reflecting back and looking at what we did well. This year my favourite moment was sitting down and painting and drawing with the children and seeing everyone express their artistic flair. New Fringe events add variety to the town council calendar of events throughout the year, and I look forward to seeing what will be included next year.”
