BILL Pumphrey’s wish that the Macmillan annual garden fete held in his and his wife Maggie’s garden at Old Orchard, Trendle Lane, Bicknoller, every year since 1990, must go on after his death, will be granted this year when the event is held on Saturday, August 28.

Bill died in October, 2019, aged 97 and last year’s event was cancelled because of the Covid-19 pandemic but Maggie, chairman of the organising Coleridge Macmillan Cancer Support Committee, and fellow members, were determined to make up for last year’s cancellation with this year’s fete.

“Ever since he reached 90, Bill had said: ‘The fete must go on, even if I die the night before,’” Maggie remembered.

The first fete, over 30 years ago, raised £300 for Macmillan Cancer Support. Since then, the total has reached £73,500 and attracted more than 400 people to what has become a traditional August bank holiday event.

Maggie said: “With only a few reductions in games and stalls, there will still be plenty to do and plenty of ways to help raise the much-needed funds for Macmillan. “West Somerset Brass Band will be up to full strength after a long period of inactivity and its members are looking to forward to playing in one of their favourite venues.”

The gate will open at 2.15pm and there will be hand sanitiser at the gate and on some of the stalls, particularly Granny’s, where there will be lots of bargains and a wonderful variety of treasures for sale.

A plant stall, cakes and produce stall, craft stall and a stall with a mix of DVDs, jigsaws and books will be there, together with the ever-popular bottle stall, a hamper raffle and a grand raffle.

Until he was 90, Bill Pumphrey added new side-shows to the event, many of his own invention, and his popular favourites will be there to entertain visitors of all ages. Teas will include a wide variety of cakes, scones, sausage rolls and quiches.

Maggie added: “Macmillan Cancer Support is desperate to make up for a shortfall in fundraising over the past 15 months and all the money raised at this fete will support Macmillan services in Somerset.”