Showground plan for Barnard Castle Meet

VOLUNTEERS who organise Barnard Castle’s biggest annual event have outlined major changes including a showground on The Demesnes packed with family fun.

Tim Bateson is one of a raft of new faces to join the Barnard Castle Meet Committee this year and helped produce flyers for this year’s event from his small printing company.

He gave Barnard Castle Town Council an overview of where the May Bank Holiday event was going – pointing to the ever present need for more volunteers.

Mr Bateson said: “I have not been involved in the history of the Meet – I know certain things have gone on and personally I think we need to be a bit more transparent and

inclusive rather than exclusive.”

The main idea for next year’s Whit week celebration in the town was to move the procession onto the upper Demesnes near the rugby pitches after the parade ends at The Bowes Museum.

Sideshows, stalls run by groups like the Clique and old fashioned fair games were also on the table.

Mr Bateson added: “It should be a proper old fashioned village carnival – not about personalities but about delivering a cracking weekend of entertainment.

“It usually starts at Glaxo and stops at The Bowes Museum – it needs to come down and meet up on the showground.

“We are looking at building bridges with other fundraisers and inviting them to join

in.”

Other ideas included a Saxon village and a mini steam engine as attractions for the event.

Mr Bateson was also keen for families and school to pitch in with their suggestions.

The Meet Committee has now registered itself as a Community Interest Company (CIC) opening the door for it to bid for more grants.

Mr Bateson revealed how the Meet wanted to hand over some of its proceeds raised from the day to charities such as the Great North Air Ambulance Service.

“Rather than keeping all that money for another parade we can give it back as well,” he added.

Questions over the fate of the Meet have long circulated.

Mr Bateson said he wanted to see the Meet “open up a bit” to secure its future and would be on the hunt for sponsorship from town firms in the coming months.

He said: “We haven’t got a stick to hammer in the ground at the moment – it might be a loss leader this year to build a foundation stone to get the carnival held so kids remember what a good Meet weekend is.”

Cllr Roger Peat asked Mr Bateson to make sure Barnard Castle RUFC was informed about the plans.

Cllr John Blissett added: “It’s nice to know you want to help – I hope this is a way forward and I’m pretty sure the

majority of people here will help.”

“We wish you the best of luck,” added Cllr Judi Sutherland.

For more information, go to www.barnardcastlemeet.com