POPULAR: Shoppers flocked to the spring fair at Barnard Castle Cricket Club
POPULAR: Shoppers flocked to the spring fair at Barnard Castle Cricket Club

A PLETHORA of home-run businesses from around the area will be featured during a Summer Shopping Fair at Barnard Castle Cricket Club this weekend.

The event comes on the back of a similar fair in April which was organised by Lisa Lapham, who runs Your Wow Wedding – a business which provides personalised wedding gifts and accessories.

She said: “The rents and rates on the high street are too high for many small businesses. It was a great opportunity to get everyone’s business out there.”

Some 24 enterprises have signed up, offering handmade children’s clothes, homeware, toys, spa products, sweet treats, upcycled furniture, candles, books, cards and gift wrap, art and handbags and purses.

Mrs Lapham said: “Some of the same fabulous pop-up shops will be back along with some amazing new ones too, so there will be something for everyone to browse, buy and enjoy. I have had a lot of enquiries, but I try to have only one of each type of business.”

The fair has the added benefit of raising cash for charity and the spring fair raised £350 for Cancer Research UK.

Mrs Lapham added: “It is an amazing cause. We lost our mother-in-law to cancer a few years ago and we have had a lot of friends affected by cancer recently.”

Later this year she intends to organise a two day Christmas fair at the same venue on November 30 and December 1.

The fair will feature a Santa’s Grotto, which, in association with the Influence Church, will give children from families struggling to make ends meet an opportunity to meet Santa and get a gift.

The summer fair gets underway at the cricket club from 11am to 4pm on Saturday, August 10.

For more information contact info@ yourwowwedding.co.uk.