A HAMPSHIRE market town was packed as hundreds of Gypsy Roma and Traveller people visited for its historic annual horse fair.
Crowds gathered around barriers Wickham as horse and pony-drawn carriages tore past them, while vendors sold a range of items from baby and adult clothes to cleaning products and bedding.
Bernice Wall, whose family organises the fair, said: "This year has been brilliant. There is a much bigger market this year which people have really appreciated. As the day has gone on, more people have come.
“There are more rides in the funfair and there are a really good mixture of not only the gypsy community but also local people. So we are very pleased to see that local people are coming back."
Mems Gengiz had a stall at the fair. Asked how business was, he said: "I'm finding it very good, very busy seeing all the community getting together, mostly the people coming here are like family, living in all parts of the UK.
"This is the first time I have been selling here [at Wickham Horse Fair], it's been good but busy."
Adding: "People are absolutely loving it, being out with the horses."
The event also attracted people from outside the village.
Eddie Walsh, from Portsmouth, said: "It's been a good day out: hot chilli sauce on a beef burger made it a really nice day.
"We have been coming here for a good forty years now, we come along for the day to look at some of the horses and ponies and it's nice.
"It's a historic thing, hundreds of years it has been running and I always enjoy coming to it - except when it rains."
The event is held annually on May 20 and has been held every year since 1269.
It started when King Henry III granted a Royal Charter to Wickham in 1269 to hold the fair and markets in the town - and has been held in some form every year since. It was officially cancelled during the pandemic, however a small number of the community visited the market town to ensure the Royal Charter would continue.
Jon Knight, inspectorate equine officer for the RSPCA, was keeping a keen eye on horse welfare and said the horses being sold looked “absolutely fine”, adding there was “nothing of concern” regarding their welfare.
He said: "There may be a few concerns about access to water, but there is water available here if needed - otherwise, everything here is looking good and healthy.
"We are here to engage, and we understand the reasons why the fair is on with the Royal Charter, we understand it’s their day that they look forward to and we’re here to support and to monitor."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here