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Events |
| The beginning of December 2000 saw Whitehaven's first Victorian fair. The idea was to provide themed entertainment along with another farmer's market selling local produce. |
| The Fair was opened by Michael Moon whose speech illustrated the contrast between Christmas in the Victorian era and that of now. Surrounding the hub was a farmers market with high quality food for sale direct from the producers. |
| The Hub itself was used for live performances throughout the day. Haig Mining museum had worked with the children from Hensingham Junior school to produce a drama telling the stories of people who worked in Whitehaven mines. Amongst the other performances was a rousing performance by Whitehaven Male Voice Choir. |
| Whitehaven streets became host to a range of very unusual characters. These included a mime, an organ grinder and Scrooge who was pulled around in a carriage and insulted everyone he met to amusing effect. |
| There was also the incredible Unicycling Fiddler who succeeded
in pulling off these two impossible feats simultaneously. Some large dancing snowmen
brought a smile to the faces of everyone they met. And a stilt walking angel seemed very
confused by the fact that she had fallen off her cloud and landed in Whitehaven's busy
market place.
The Rum Story provided another popular location throughout the day. The covered courtyard cafe was ideal for smaller performances as you could be entertained whilst having lunch or a cup of coffee. Entertainers included Gary and Vera Aspey from Wigan who performed several traditional English songs with plenty of humour and also demonstrated clog dancing, including how the heel step was introduced by Cumbrians. The event concluded with a Victorian Evening at the Beacon and a firework display across the harbour. This featured the new fluorescent wave feature along the lime tongue.
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