Ex-Mayor's fears over Stow Fair public debate (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Ex-Mayor's fears over Stow Fair public debate

STOW Town Council has agreed to have a public meeting to discuss Stow Fair despite fears it might degenerate into a xenophobic slanging match.

The council voted by five votes to four at last week's monthly meeting in favour of staging a meeting, although some councillors were opposed and former town mayor, Vera Norwood, voiced serious fears that it would turn into a public row.

"This issue brings out the worst in people," former town councillor and Stow Mayor Cllr Norwood told the meeting. "It brings out the xenophobia in people. I was shocked and disgusted at some of the comments and people who attended last year's public meeting on the fair.

"It seems nice people don't bother to turn up. If I hadn't known I was at a Stow meeting, I would have thought I was at a meeting of the National Front. I think this is something the town council needs to discuss among themselves."

Mrs Norwood, a committee member of the gipsy council, said ill feeling towards the fair and gipsies had begun about ten years ago when many new residents moved into Stow.

"There has been some bad behaviour at the fairs," she acknowledged, "but then we have heard that some of our own children have been throwing eggs at people in supermarkets.

"This fair is our oldest tradition, it's not something businesses should be complaining about."

The twice-yearly fair, in May and October, dates back to the 19th century when it was a hiring fair for agricultural workers. It became a gipsy and traveller fair in the early 1990s.

Last year's May Fair saw massive criticism over human excrement found in hedgerows, gardens and fields up to a mile from the fair field in Maugersbury.

Intimidation and the volume of caravans also raised concerns, which were tackled by a working party including representatives from Cotswold District, Gloucestershire County, Stow Town and Maugersbury Parish councils.

However, the October Fair passed off much more quietly, with an increased police presence boosted by officers from Warwickshire and Thames Valley forces.

Cllr Tom Morris told the meeting he was all in favour of public consultation but it might be advisable to wait until after the May Fair to have the meeting.

Cllr Jenny Turner said: "There have been a lot of changes made to the fair in the past year, and unless we have a public meeting we are not going to get the full co-operation of the police and others. In this area we aren't famous for communicating."

The public meeting will be held on a date to be fixed, but probably in June or July, at St Edward's Hall in Stow.