Future of Bishop's Castle fair thrown into jeopardy
The future of a Shropshire town fair has been thrown into jeopardy after it lost cash for the third consecutive year.
Bishop's Castle Michaelmas Fair brings thousands of visitors into the town but organisers warn unless people start paying for their tickets the processions, music and entertainment could be axed.
Organiser John Lucas said the Michaelmas committee would have to think about changing the fair's format.
Mr Lucas, who has organised the two-day event for five years, said cancelling the event all together was a possibility.
This year's fair, which took place over the weekend, attracted 4,000 people into Bishop's Castle who enjoyed live music, a street procession of vintage vehicles as well as shows and stalls on the town's recreation ground.
However, Mr Lucas said only about half of these people paid £5 for a ticket.
He said: "People are able to walk around the streets and recreation field to see displays and stalls as they are public rights of way.
"Stewards on Saturday and Sunday had tried encouraging visitors to pay but they had no power to make them.
"Unless people begin to buy tickets the event's format would have to be changed, or possibly cancelled all together.
"We had lots of people at the show, about 4,000, who really seemed to enjoy themselves. But yet again we made a loss.
"About 2,000 people bought tickets for the weekend but another 2,000 did not pay. We have now made a loss this year, last year and the year before. Clearly the model we use is not working."
He added: "We will have to change the format. If this means cancelling the street parade or postponing the fair all together I don't know, but we will have to come up with some ideas.
"This year our outgoings come to £22,000 and overall we have made a loss of £2,000, we can't go on like this."
