It is weekends – such as the one just passed – that remind us how magical the town of Frome is.
On Saturday evening the town centre was illuminated by the Frome Carnival procession – marching majorettes twirled their batons to the jolly music booming from cars crawling behind them, with tiny little children in tow – managing, amazingly, to keep up with the choreography. But the most impressive section was the Big Heads that were created during a series of free workshops over the last few months. The huge papier mache heads towered above the crowds, causing audible gasps, and generally wow-ing anyone lucky enough to catch a glimpse.
Alex Green got some great snaps:
On Sunday afternoon, the Milk Street Brewery set up a gazebo at the top of Catherine Hill, with barrels of ale and cider, to serve the Cobble Wobble crew. People come from all over the country (and further afield) to take part in, or watch and cheer on, the Cobble Wobble. The cobbled Catherine’s Hill is lined on each side with barriers, leaving a central path for cyclists (or wannabe cyclists) to heave themselves up the rather steep slope, over the rather wobbly cobbles, in a race against time. There are prizes for the winning competitors.
There was an energised atmos – with plenty of cheering, whooping, squealing and whistling – and a commentator who became progressively more comical throughout the afternoon.
The Cobble Wobble is taken very seriously in Frome. I sat in the Garden Cafe, Stony Street, on Friday night – eating delicious stone-baked pizza for dinner – watching as men, women and children practised cycling up the hill. Clad in lycras on the day, with an array of impressive cycles, the participants marched around with a look of determination (and slight fear) in their faces.
To rejuvinate those who’d taken part, or those who’d grown weary from cheering (like me), jhalmuri, Palmer Street, offered a variety of steaming-hot curries, pakora, peshwari naan, raita, chutneys and rice to take away in buffet boxes for a bargain £2.50.
After sitting on a pavement to devour the Indian feast, we meandered back home – past the dwindling Cobble Wobble crowds – at dusk.
The sky was lit up in Care Bear pastel shades:
What a wonderful weekend in Frome.
