CROWDS of people braced themselves for bad weather as they turned out for the final day of Pershore’s Plum Festival on Monday.

With a farmers’ market in Broad Street, live entertainment in Plum Alley, stalls throughout the town and much more, the threat of bad weather did little to discourage visitors.

The town was jam-packed for most of the day until downpours set in during the afternoon. However, despite the deluge, the entertainment continued at the Big Plum music festival in the gardens of the Angel Hotel.

Steve Knight, Pershore Market Town Partnership manager, said wet weather earlier in the summer had actually done the festival a favour by bringing out the widest variety of plums available on the one weekend.

Mr Knight said: “It went really well. The weather didn’t deter people. People came prepared and carried on regardless. There were lots of new things and lots going on for everybody.

“It’s really encouraging.”

Stallholder Lucy Taylor from Capers deli, Pershore, said it was their first time at the festival – after recently being taken over – and it was good to see so many people supporting local businesses.

She said: “It’s going absolutely brilliantly so far. It’s nice to see Pershore support local businesses. People are buying as well as sampling.

“Everyone seems to be in really high spirits.”

Geoff and Sylvia Alford from Wolverhampton had visited Pershore before but said it was their first time to the plum festival.

Mr Alford said: “It’s really, really good and very well organised. The stalls are fantastic.

Everyone is in a happy mood.”

Matt Silvester, of Worcester, was visiting the festival for the third year with his family. He said: “It’s a chance to come along and enjoy a bit of the traditional British countryside.

“It’s always been good fun.”

One of the major successes of the weekend was the classic car show on Abbey Park, which featured a record 600 vehicles on display.