The annual Appleby Horse Fair, a well-known event for travellers, has always attracted attention. It’s a time when thousands of people gather in the picturesque town of Appleby-in-Westmorland, Cumbria, to celebrate their culture and heritage, with horses at the centre of it all. But as the fair comes to an end, there’s always the task of cleaning up the mess left behind.
This year, as usual, the site was left strewn with rubbish, which had to be cleared away before the town could return to normal. Volunteers, including members of the local community, environmental groups, and workers from the fair itself, spent days clearing up the aftermath.
While this might sound like a routine chore, it’s far from easy. The rubbish included everything from discarded plastic bottles and food packaging to other materials that had accumulated over the days of the fair. The effort to tidy up is a significant one, especially when you consider the scale of the event. The fair attracts thousands of visitors each year, and with the large crowds comes a large volume of waste.
Local authorities have often faced criticism for not doing enough to ensure the site remains clean during and after the fair. However, this year’s clean-up operation was a more coordinated effort than before. The local council worked closely with the organisers of the event and environmental volunteers to ensure a quick and efficient clean-up.
The work is not without challenges. Some of the rubbish is more difficult to clear due to its location and the nature of the materials, which may be scattered across fields and along the banks of the River Eden. Despite this, the volunteers have remained determined to restore the town to its usual pristine condition.
This year’s clean-up also drew attention to the need for more sustainable practices at large events like the Appleby Horse Fair. Local environmental groups have called for better waste management solutions, including more accessible recycling bins and better facilities for disposing of waste during the event. The aim is to minimise the impact on the environment and to ensure that future fairs leave behind only memories, not piles of rubbish.
For now, as the rubbish is cleared away and the fairgoers return to their homes, there is hope that the fair will continue to evolve and become a more environmentally conscious event. With better planning, improved waste management, and the collective effort of the local community, Appleby Horse Fair can maintain its unique tradition while being kind to the environment.
In the end, it’s a reminder that large-scale events, while filled with excitement and history, require careful planning and collaboration to ensure they don’t leave a lasting negative impact on the surroundings.
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