ONE of the most atmospheric events in Ledbury's annual calendar will take place next week.

The annual October Fayre will be officially launched by the town mayor, Cllr Annette Crowe, in the High Street at 5.30pm on Monday, October 12.

She will cut the ribbon at the Waltzers, officially declaring the fair open.

The fair will also take place on the evening of Tuesday, October 13, and so for two evenings, as darkness settles in, the town centre will attract large crowds to the many side shows and fairground rides.

The fair has been run by the Rogers fun fair family for generations, but it has its origins back in the days of Queen Elizabeth I, around four hundred years ago.

It was Good Queen Bess who provided the Charter for the fair.

In former days, it would have been a hiring fair, to provide labour for local farms and, within the living memory of some Ledbury residents, it would also have functioned as an autumn market for household goods, such as linen and crockery.

There will be road closures to facilitate the rides.

Bye Street, from its junction with the High Street to the turn for St Katherine's car park, will be closed from 5pm on October 11 to 11pm on October 13.

The High Street, from the Bye Street junction to Top Cross and the Homend, from the Bye Street junction to Bank Crescent, will be closed from 5pm to 11pm on each of the fair days, October 12 and October 13.