Thousands of gypsies, travellers and tourists descended on Appleby today as the rescheduled annual horse fair began.
The controversial event is historically held in the first week of June but due to COVID safety concerns it was moved to August.
King of the Gypsies, Billy Welch, said those in his community were over the moon to be at Appleby as the fair having been cancelled in 2020.
National news outlets and TV cameras were seen in the town filming the spectacle, including the Yorkshire Shepherdess Amanda Owen who was filming in the market field.
Romany bowtops and camp fires could be seen dotting the landscape around Fair Hill alongside the plethora of modern caravans and souped-up 4x4s as gypsy travellers flocked to Appleby from all over the country and further afield into Europe.
A heavy police presence is in the town along with officials from a variety of animal welfare groups.
However despite travellers’ thrill at being back at the fair many local residents and business owners have taken a different view.
A number of businesses in the town that have previously traded during the fair have this year chosen to close their doors to the influx of visitors.
This includes Dent’s Newsagents which has closed for the first time in 20 years, also the town’s Royal Oak in Bongate and Pizza Roma and China Moon takeaways.
The fair is expected to continue to Sunday and attract over 30,000 visitors.
