FORTY years since the inaugural fun weekend was held in Cotherstone, villagers are preparing for an action-packed anniversary event.
The very first fun weekend was organised in 1983 as a one-off event to raise funds to help buy a dialysis machine. The event, which saw lots of activities including football matches, sports and a barbecue, raised £842.
Residents enjoyed the event so much, however, it continued to be held, raising funds for a variety of organisations over the years.
To mark the 40th anniversary fun weekend, organisers have pulled out all the stops to make it even more memorable with activities including dog show, scarecrow trail, sporting contest, duck race, afternoon fete and open church events spread over three days. The popular fancy dress contest takes centre stage, with a procession through the village.
Fun weekend organiser Kelly Green said: “We haven’t run the procession on the road since 2018. The cost for the closure and traffic management takes a huge chunk out of our budget, but this year, thanks to donations from Teesdale Action Partnership, J and JG Gill and Sons and WS Hodgsons and Co, have made it all possible.”
The weekend kicks off on Friday, July 21, with a quoits contest from 6pm. On Saturday, the procession is schedule to start from the Fox and Hounds at 1pm, ending at East Green for judging by the Rev David Tomlinson and his wife Davina.
An afternoon fair with refreshments, entertainment from Middleton and Teesdale Silver Band, tombola, stalls and traditional games will take place in the school grounds from 1.30pm. The annual duck race on East Green is at 5pm.
On Sunday, there will be a fun dog show, when there will be refreshments available, at 10am on East Green.
An open church event at St Cuthbert’s, where there will be strawberries and cream as well as Pimms on offer, takes place between 1.30pm and 3.30pm. There will also be the opportunity to explore the church tower.
This year there is a bumper number of entries in the scarecrow trail, which has a theme of favourite books. Maps for the trail are available to pick up from the Red Lion, Fox and Hounds, Doe Park Caravan Park and the Chapel shop. It costs £1 to submit an entry to be in with a chance of winning a prize.
Fun weekend volunteer Rachel Atkinson said: “We’ve got 42 scarecrows this year and it’s the most we have had since I took over. People have really gone to town.”
