Pershore Plum Festival celebrates 25th anniversary

Pershore Plum Festival is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and held events throughout August, building up to Plum Fayre Day on Bank Holiday Monday (August 28).

The Royal Plum Procession took place this morning, with Pershore’s town crier Robert Speight leading ‘Queen Victoria’, the Plum Princesses and dignataries down the high street and into Abbey Park.

The town crier, Plum Princesses and Queen Victoria (Image: NQ)

The procession stopped to gather on the balcony of Claude Choules in Broad Street, where special guest Trevor Harrison - Eddie Grundy from The Archers - read An Ode to the Pershore Plum.

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Also involved in the procession were Pershore mayor Richard Grantham, Wychavon council chair Robert Rafael and festival mascots Prunella and Egbert.

There is live music taking place near Asda, in ‘Plum Alley’ and in Abbey Park.

Classic cars in front of Pershore Abbey (Image: NQ)

More than 600 classic cars are gathered in the park, where there is also a food village, cookery exhibitions, a children’s fun zone and more.

Tours of the Abbey Tower are taking place throughout the day, as are teddy parachute and zip wire drops.

Angela Taylor, chair of Pershore Plum Festival, said: “We have a fantastic array of things going on - and people have travelled from far and wide to come and celebrate with us on our 25th anniversary.”

Volunteers Alan Holder and Harriet Wilson (Image: NQ)

Vice chair Alan Holder said last Thursday’s (August 24) Bike Night had been a “wonderful evening”.

“We had 500 motorbikes attend, an AC/DC tribute band and it was extremely well attended,” he said.

“We’ve had a couple of wet weekends in August but the rain hasn’t put anyone off.”

Pershore mayor Richard Grantham said: “We enjoyed a great free film festival on Saturday, a family fun day on Sunday and, of course, today is the big day.”