Ambitious Fairtrade Festival

BURGESS Hill’s Fairtrade Festival is promised as “the most ambitious and imaginative Fairtrade Festival yet”.

Robert Eggleston, chairman of the Burgess Hill Town Fairtrade Group, is delighted at the way this year’s third annual festival has come together.

It takes place over the first two weeks of March during the national campaign known as Fairtrade Fortnight.

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The programme kicks off at the Martlets Hall on Saturday, February 26 with Rock For Fairtrade where band The Last Carnival teams up with The Crossroads Band UK and headliners After The Fire in a night of full-on blues, rock and pop.

“Three great bands and one solid night of music is a great way to start a festival,” says Robert.

“Then in contrast, on Friday, March 4, there is Classics And Cakes in St John’s Church. This combines the Amici Consort, a trio of international musicians from the Royal Academy of Music, with support from Matthew Socci, a young classical guitarist who is already being hailed as the Einaudi of the guitar.

“On Saturday, March 5, Burgess Hill hosts its third annual Fairtrade Market. This year the Fairtrade group has been able to lure Divine Chocolate and Percol (a leading Fairtrade coffee maker) to an event which will fill the Martlets Hall with around 20 stalls. The market will be a great opportunity to buy gifts, relax over Fairtrade tea, coffee and cakes and sample loads of goodies on offer.

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“Then in the evening there is the Festival’s annual Ceilidh, which will be led this year by local group Kate’s Kitchen Band with support from Burgess Hill duo The Flaming Czars.

“Multi BBC2 Folk Award winning duo Spiers and Boden are headlining at Folk For Fairtrade on Sunday, March 6. They are joined by the beautiful singing of Burgess Hill singer/songwriter, Julie Hall and the soul-searching vocals of Gareth Davies-Jones.

For more information about the Burgess Hill Fairtrade Festival visit the festival website at www.burgessfreedomfestival.com or contact Robert Eggleston by email at [email protected] or call him on 0794 779 2033.