Bromyard’S second Hop Festival has been labelled a
‘sparkling success’ by organisers.
 

About 3,000 people came out to join in the fun on, which included
live music, a parade of vintage and horse-drawn vehicles and the second Hop
Pocket race.
 

Twenty teams of runners carrying a 70kg hop pocket ran a course 732 yards in length, with team Awesome – consisting of Ashley and Andrew Davis, and William
and Lewis Jacobsen – coming out on top.

They completed the course in two minutes 41 seconds to claim first prize.
 

The women’s champion team was the Luscious Ladies, made up of Philippa
Jones, Sally Bullock, Carla Chamberlain and Steph Bagley, who carried a 50kg
bag of hops in four minutes, 11 seconds.
 

Ex-Hereford United manager Colin Addison started the race and presented the
winners with their shields.
 

Ian Raven, festival chairman, said: “We are very lucky to have chosen such a
sunny, warm day for the festival.

"All aspects of the event were more than wellsupported.
 

“It's only through the efforts of a devoted team of volunteers, plus the support
and encouragement of local traders and sponsors, that the Hop Festival can
benefit Bromyard as it does and I thank them all.”