GOING from strength to strength in its 33rd year, Haslemere Charities Fair netted more than £4,000 for good causes, despite a slow start due to the bad weather.

Haslemere Town Crier Christian Ashdown ensured town mayor Sahran Abeysundara officially opened the fair at Haslemere Hall in style, and two new causes – Positive Action and Haslemere Quilters for Crohns and Colitis – joined 28 other charities busy drumming up support.

“As always, I enjoyed myself hugely,” Dianne Bennett said, who has organised all 33 fairs on behalf of the charity BLISS, which supports premature babies. “One charity has been present every year since BLISS started organising the event in 1985 – Amnesty International.

“Supporters who braved the rain spent very generously and about £4,500 was spent at the fair, of which more than £1,300 went to BLISS, which had stalls, a grand draw and also ran the coffee shop.

Midhurst Rother College’s two year nine students, Ella Shuter and Amy Dallinger-Jones, were in the foyer all morning to welcome visitors and cheered up a gloomy morning in fetching gnome outfits.

Dianne added: “It is so gratifying for the charities when visitors take an interest in their work, and noise levels were pretty high at times with everyone chattering away.”