Festival marks 300th birthday of pub

Buy photos » Clockwork Orange peform at the Friar Street Festival. (s)

AROUND 800 people packed into Friar Street on June 9 for a one-off festival celebration of music, fire breathing, magic and theatre.

The event was organised by licensees Graham Leonard and Stuart Wilcox from The Old Cock Inn to mark the venue’s 300th anniversary.

Friar Street was closed off to vehicles and filled with a main stage supplied by Tooles Transportation, which was brought to life by more than 80 performers.

The day started with acoustic music from the Outland Slickers, the Droitwich Community Choir, the Spa Tones and Pershore Brass.

And visitors soon warmed to the programme thanks to a couple of fire-breathing performers supplied by Liverpool circus performers Monster Cirque while Britain’s Got Talent freak magician Simon South also wowed the crowds.

Deputy mayor Coun Tom Noyes took to the stage to say a few words to mark 300 years of the Old Cock Inn before the Norbury Theatre players gave visitors a taste of their forthcoming Magic of the Musicals.

Synth pop group Fade, local bands All 4 One and The Capital plus Clockwork Orange, a band with links to Spandau Ballet, all made for an afternoon of great live music and entertainment which finally came to a close at 4pm.

Graham and Stuart said: “The event was a huge success, the sun shone and everyone was in high spirits never before has Friar Street seen such an event. Happy Birthday Old Cock Inn!.”

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