BRIGG HORSE FAIR 2016 - PREVIEW OF A FREE SPECTACLE FOR PEOPLE OF ALL AGES TO ENJOY

Brigg Horse Fair 2016 will be held on Friday, August 5. 
Above and below we offer some horse fair pictures from the recent past to give a flavour of this historic spectacle. 
Friday's free-to-attend 2016 event is expected to start around 9.30am on Station Road, near the town's railway station, postcode DN20 8XB, and will run for three or four hours, perhaps longer, depending on the number of steeds on display.
The fair is organised by the gypsy-traveller community and is NOT an "official event" run by a local group or authority. Hence the failure to appear in some of Events Listings, which is a shame. 
Travellers, in their caravans, come from a very wide area of the north east and midlands. 
Spectators can watch horses being "trotted" and then, if they are lucky, observe  buyers and sellers trying to agree a price. It's a very traditional way of doing business and something not often seen these days.

Barriers are generally put up on either side of Station Road but the horses, often attached to traps or buggies, travel at speed while being shown off for the benefit of prospective buyers. So please take care at all times to watch out for approaching steeds.
We've also seen horses at some past fairs being displayed on the grassy, tree-lined area adjoining Station Road. We used to call this The Paddock, but today it's officially designed a Village Green. It could be that access issues may prohibit this happening again.
Recent years have seen a growing number of pitches at Brigg Horse Fair, selling brasses, lace trinkets and other items from stands near caravans and trailers (see top picture). 

Britain used to have many annual horse fairs - even in some big cities - but now very few remain. Appleby Horse Fair, in Cumbria (not Lincolnshire), is the best-known of the survivors.
Brigg's almost died out one year during the early 1990s when only two horses were shown. However, interest picked up again from that worrying low point.  In recent years the turn-out has been healthy. However, as a spectator event held in the open air, the Great British Weather always has a say on Brigg Horse Fair's total attendance.
For many years the horse fair was staged close to the White Horse pub, in Wrawby Street, on the A18. Yes, the main road through town before we had the M180! 
The old venue's name lives on through Horse Fair Paddock - grouped dwellings built in this part of town during the reign (no pun intended!) of Glanford Borough Council, then our social landlord (today it's Ongo).
If you are coming to the 2016 horse fair by car, please note there is no provision for parking at the venue. You are best advised to use the town's main Old Courts Road car park, off  the A18, or the smaller facility behind the Angel, off Elwes Street. Then walk to the horse fair venue, which is on Station Road, off Bigby Street. Look out for the Hewson House council offices, which are at the top of Station Road.