THE sun welcomed a good crowd of visitors to Stow's autumn horse fair on Thursday though turnout was slightly less than in previous years.

Trade stands lined the outskirts of the popular fair, held in a field off Maugersbury Road, which is an essential date in many travellers' diaries in May and October.

Many sold bespoke fashion items and footwear along the main trade thoroughfare while further down the field there was the customary horse sales and brightly painted bow top caravans - also called vardo - with displays of tack and ironmongery. There were also stalls selling food, china and furniture.

Travelling almost 1,000 miles to "buy a new china cup" was horse trainer and coppersmith Michael Railee, who originally hails from Kent, but spends much of his life on the road.

He told the Journal that just a few weeks earlier he had been on a gypsy pilgrimage to Les Saintes Maries de la Mer, in Carmargue, in southern France.

"I had chipped my china cup so I thought I'd drive my horse and caravan 950 miles to Stow to buy another one," he mused. He said his horse was one of the best he had ever had and was more than up to the task of travelling that far: "He's only eight years old but has already done 10,000 miles," he said.

Also enjoying their own pilgrimage to Stow were Graeme and Marion Forder, from Cornwall.

"We have a travelling stunt show and go all around the country with it, but this break in Stow is our holiday and we have been coming here for nine or 10 years, said Mrs Forder. "We use it to have a break and meet up with people we know."

Caravan site owner Tom Dooley, from Sandbach, was at the fair in a bow top wagon he had had for more than 20 years. "I enjoy coming because it's a chance to see your friends and catch up with things. You see something different every year, new horses and people. It's like a new model of a car; there's always something different about it," he said.

Isaac Smith, one of the show's organisers said it had been a quieter turnout than in previous years but it was a good atmosphere. "People seem to be enjoying it and there's been a steady stream of people all day."

Fashion graduate Rocea Greenway, from Worcester, was having a trade stand for the first time at the show and said she had sold a few items.

"It' has been really good; we've all enjoyed it and I think I'll probably come back next time," she said.

Elsa Smith, from Evesham, was visiting the fair with her friends Jess and Jodie Jones and their family who live in Pershore. "We come every year and we love it," she said.

The RSPCA was in attendance and said they were happy with the health and wellbeing of all the animals they had seen at the fair.