SEVERAL thousand people in flocked to the Pendleside village of Higham for the Easter Arts and Crafts exhibition.
The exhibition, which has been held annually for the past 15 years, is now very firmly established as Higham’s biggest event of the year.
This year the event was as popular as ever, attracting the usual wide variety and high standard of craft exhibits as well as a large number of visitors from a wide area. Nearly 3,000 people visited it in the first five days and organisers expect to have raised around £2,000.
“We have been very pleased with the response to the exhibition this year. As usual, attendances have been very good and we have probably been helped by the weather. Everything points to it being as successful as ever," said Mr John Berryman, secretary of the organising committee.
Nowadays the proceeds of the exhibition are divided equally, between St John's Parish Church, Higham, and charities supported by Padiham Rotary Club. But it is still very much a village effort with many of the 70 people who help run the exhibition not directly connected with either organisation. The exhibition this year has some 68 stalls displaying a wide variety of craft products. They include paintings, embroidery, hand painted china, needlework, pottery and ceramics, enamelled jewellery, furniture, wooden toys, knitwear, leather goods and both stained glass and ornamental glass products. Around half the exhibitors are from the Pendle and Burnley area, with a number from Higham itself. The rest mainly come from other parts of East Lancashire.