Huge crowds packed into Haslemere on the Jubilee Bank Holiday Friday for the return of the town’s historic Charter Fair.

This year’s fair, the first since 2018, had a distinct Jubilee flavour with all stallholders asked to dress their stalls and themselves in an appropriate manner.

They didn’t disappoint, and nor did the many thousands of visitors – and some four-legged friends too!

The High Street and West Street was closed to traffic and the entire area turned into an arena for the fair, offering many things to do, rides to enjoy and lots of stalls all offering a wide range of products, services and fun for all the family.

The fair was open from 11am to 5pm, and a free courtesy bus ran throughout from Shottermill Working Man’s Club direct to the fair.

The Charter Fair is organized by a group of volunteers from Haslemere and surrounding villages and has been running every two years since it was reinstated in 1984 apart from a Covid break in 2020.

It is supported by Haslemere Town Council and organised by Haslemere Events.

The fair charts its history back to 1393, when Richard II and the Bishop of Salisbury confirmed an order dated April 29, 1221, allowing a weekly market and an annual fair to be held in the town. Although the weekly markets were already established the first fair was reported to be held 1394.

Photographer Will Pattenden took the above photos, and afterwards said: “It was a fantastic afternoon, I’ve never seen the town so busy!”