Fantastic Oyster Festival
This week I have to start with bouquets all round to those involved with last weekend’s Oyster Festival. It was attended by around 27,000 people and although size and numbers don’t always make for a great event the Festival was superb from Thursday right through to Sunday.
Clarissa Dickson Wright kicked off proceedings with wit, style and aplomb and the event created a wonderful atmosphere throughout Falmouth for the whole weekend. The local Falmouth Community laid on a great party aided by some glorious weather and some very tasty ingredients.
The Skinners and St Austell Brewery Ale and Wine bars supplied the refreshment and Harvey’s and the Falmouth Bay Oyster Company provided the food. Add in a wide range of music from folk to jazz and some extraordinarily talented local chefs demonstrating their culinary flair and you have close to perfection.
The event has been through some ups and downs but in all honesty I believe the organizers will be hard pressed to improve on the 2007 programme and format.
I have often criticized Carrick District Council over various issues in the past but their continued support of this event is to be whole heartedly applauded and I firmly believe that many more visitors will come down for future Festivals.
During my 3 visits to this year’s event I met several visitors from Berkshire and Surrey who had specifically made the trip to attend the Festival. One remarkable couple had between them consumed 7 dozen oysters.
Carrick have always been looking for ways of extending the tourist season and in the Oyster Festival they have struck gold and the District Council deserves a lot of credit for its faith in the event.
The Camra Beer Festival at the Princess Pavilion also provided an additional attraction over the weekend and there was a steady flow of people between the two venues.
The completion of Events Square has also helped give the Festival a firm foundation for 2008 and beyond and it really is not to unrealistic or in the realms of fantasy to suggest a second marquee or stage at the original home of the Festival at Custom House Quay in the near future.
I was that impressed with this year’s event.
The Harbour Race for Working Boats was well supported and Abigail Rose skippered by Norman Bowers won B Class and Leila with Adam Bird on the helm won C Class.
Irene (Robert Northey), Zulu (Kevin Radford) and Edith (Mal Stone) won special prizes for sailing in the their working rig and in the case of Edith even towing an oyster punt.
I must finally salute the efforts of all at Falmouth Bay Oyster Company the team shucked some 20,000 oysters over the weekend.
Could the Oyster Fishery become a growth industry in Falmouth once again?
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