Bespoke stage gets the go-ahead in time for Bishop's Castle Michaelmas Fair

The town has secured a £20,000 'Leader' grant to purchase a professional stage and canopy system which will be built at the top of the steep slope in front of the Town Hall.

Organisers plan to use the stage at the Michaelmas Fair next month as well as making it a community asset to use all year round.

Keith Whiddon, chair of the Michaelmas Fair Committee, said: "We are absolutely delighted that we have won this money and we want to see it used by the community. It will help bring more tourists into the town and celebrate the music in the area, as well as our talented artists and creatives.

"We applied for the grant as a community asset. We did not want it to be used just once – it can be used at various times in the year for bands at other festivals and craft stalls and lots of things.

"Bishop's Castle has a one in six steep hill which makes having a stage at the top an amazing place for a performance. This stage system is uniquely designed for use on a hill.

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"The first time it will be used is at the Michaelmas Fair on Saturday, September 21. Local bands are playing throughout the afternoon and evening.

"The Beth Prior Collective are headlining the fair. They are the most well known Shropshire band at the moment – so the stage will have an excellent christening."

Mr Whiddon said they are grateful to have received the grant, which is part funded by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development.

A total of £138 million is being made available in England between 2015 and 2020 under the scheme. 'Leader' is a French acronym (Liaison Entre Actions de Développement de l’Économie Rurale) which roughly translates as "Liaison among Actors in Rural Economic Development".

Tickets for the Michaelmas Fair next month are available at ticketsource.co.uk/the-bishops-castle-michaelmas-fair