EXCITEMENT is building for Frome’s very first River Festival which will see a whole week of free talks and activities celebrating the River Frome.
The inaugural river festival will run from Sunday 17th to Saturday 23rd July and organisers have now confirmed the jam-packed line up. Events include a river dipping for bugs; a family walk and picnic; a graffiti project and a range of talks about local wildlife and about the River Frome itself.
Organiser Ian Mock, of the Bristol Avon Rivers Trust (BART) said, “The River Awareness Festival grew out of a desire by a number of organisations to carry out some improvements to the bank and habitat of the river in the town to benefit both wildlife but also the people of Frome.
“It was planned to be a celebration of the river and its wildlife but the recent fish kill set us all back a little. We are still hoping that the damage was less than it looked and are awaiting feedback from anglers as to their impressions based on catches now the new fishing season has begun.
“The week’s talks should help people interested in the river to learn about what is and can be done to look after it into the future and what efforts are being taken to improve rivers throughout the catchment. They will hear what other communities have been able to do and will be able to meet people from their local river group, Friends of the River Frome.
“The river dipping and river walks at the weekend should be great opportunities for families to enjoy an outing in the fresh air – especially if we are blessed with some sunny weather!
“The Bristol Avon Rivers Trust will be working in Frome carrying out various education and engagement activities involving the river when the festival is finished and is raising funds for more project work called Fix the Frome. If any local business or organisation wishes to help in any way please contact Ian@bristolavonriverstrust.org Examples of some of the local events held so far can be seen on our Facebook page.”
Talks will be held every day throughout the week at Frome Medical Centre from 7pm to 9pm. They will be:
• Monday 18th July: ‘Wildlife of the Somerset Frome’ by local naturalists Tony House and Eve Tigwell.
• Tuesday 19th: ‘The fish of the Somerset Frome’ by Professor Mark Everard, and ‘Habitat restoration success stories’ by Mike Blackmore of the Wild Trout Trust.
• Wednesday 20th: ‘Partnership working within the Bristol Avon Catchment – how we are working to improve our rivers’ by the Catchment coordinators and BART.
• Thursday 21st: ‘Community-led river restoration’ talk by Mike Blackmore of the Wild Trout Trust and Gary Hunt from CATCH.
• Friday 22nd: ‘What do we know about the Somerset Frome?’ by Jeremy Taylor of the Environment Agency.
On Saturday there will also be will be river dipping for bugs on the Egford Brook (meet at the Elm Lane public footpath car park at 10am), and a ‘Spray the way to change’ graffiti activity, meeting at 2pm outside the Cheese and Grain. Also on the Saturday there will be a family walk with an opportunity to have a picnic.
For more information contact Ian on ian@bristolavonriverstrust.org
