Barnard Castle Meet 2017: Music, fun runs, sports and games

A HOST of new free activities are on the cards at this year’s Meet carnival in Barnard Castle.
During two days of the Whit bank holiday weekend, people can look forward to events and attractions at Scar Top including a rodeo bull ride, party-time bouncy castle, a mega ocean slide and penalty shoot-out.
Instead of people having to pay to enter to watch live music inside the castle, bands will be performing sequentially at pubs around the town.
Acting chairwoman of the Meet committee Shona Robinson said: “We are subsidising the pubs to put the bands on. Rather than take business away from the pubs, we thought we would take business to the pubs for this year at least.”
The gigs begin at 2pm on the Sunday with Tony Sidgwick, Los Capitanes, The Band and The Rumoured performing at the Old Well Inn, Three Horse Shoes, 12 Bar Blues and the Coach and Horses respectively.
On Monday, also from 2pm, The Norgaards and Box of Frogs will be playing at the Blue Bell Inn and the Commercial Hotel.
Ahead of Meet weekend, the committee has arranged a series of fundraising events, starting with an Indian banquet and quiz at Spice Island, on Monday, April 24, at 7pm. Tickets cost £20.
Another quiz will take place at Barnard Castle Cricket Club on Thursday, May 18, also at 7pm. The cricket club is once again the starting point of an annual treasure hunt which starts at 6.15pm, on May 25.
Meet weekend gets off to its traditional start on the Friday evening with the veterans' football match at Tenfields, Kalafat. Saturday’s events include a craft fair at the Methodist church hall, a Not The Fun Race at Scar Top at 11am – an unofficial fun run around the woods. The  unofficial boat race will start at the County Bridge from 2pm.
Four acts are to feature on at the annual Meet Comedy Night at The Witham, starting at 7pm, to round off the day.
Sunday will be a good day out for the family as Bounce-a-Mania has a party time bouncy castle and a bull ride at Scar Top from 11am to 4pm. Face painting and kids sports, such egg and spoon and sack races, are among the other activities.
The annual pet show takes place at 10.30am
Events at Scar Top are free of charge for everyone, both on Sunday and the bank holiday Monday. Ms Robinson said: “Obviously there is so much going on, but we have so many new volunteers who have come on board and they have lots of enthusiasm, which is great.”
Monday is the big day with Bounce-a-Mania, Punch and Judy and other activities on Scar Top, again between 11am and 4pm. There will also be a table top sale. The fancy dress parade kicks off at 1pm from Glaxo car park, through the town to The Bowes Museum. Along with the regular floats and walking groups, the Meet committee has arranged for fire-eaters and stilt walkers to join the parade.
The Afro-American Marambee Pasadia music festival, taking place at The Hub over the long weekend, may also form part of the walk.
They will also be hosting a drumming workshop at Scar Top during the day.
At 3pm, Castle Players will round off the day with their production of Journey to the Centre of the Earth.