Yarmouth was having its Old Gaffers Festival and thousands of people turned up over the weekend to celebrate with the town. It was the perfect day for such an event and the summer sun ensured the weather was no hindrance to the activities planned for the day. The event wasn’t held last year but was back once again this year and the very popular weekend was filled with the traditional sailing boats and colourful gaff-rigged that people are always looking forward to. Some of the activities taking place on the shore include music, crafts, street entertainment and food and all this were planned with a community spirit at the heart of it.
There was also an unexpected continental twist to the festival as Finnish, Italian, Moroccan and Dutch stalls started trading at the town centre in addition to the other tradesmen and craftsmen who were already there. There were also classic cars and traction engines in another part of town together with bouncy castles for the little kids and carnival style games. David Randini, an island native was also present to entertain the crowd with his magic tricks while the Wight of Men gave a great demonstration of their Morris dancing. Wightlink and Visit Isle of Wight both supported the 2017 Yarmouth Old Gaffers Festival and made it possible. The event is currently planned to take place once every two years but there are many people who are hoping that it could be a yearly thing.
The weather was perfect for the crowds that had made their way to the West Wight for the festival as the sun came out in all its glory. It was a little bit windy at some point during the festival but that wasn’t too much of a problem. Titan the Robot also made an appearance in the Town Square and for many people that was one of the best moments of the festival. Most people purchased their tickets in advance. However, entry was only possible for people aged 16 and above unless they were accompanied by an adult.
Many of the shore based activities had no extra charges such as watching the Street Entertainers from Covent Garden. There were also Marching Bands and strolling musicians and bands. There was also a Marquee in the evening which was only accessible for ticket holders. The tickets could be purchased for £10.