SIX months in the planning and a school festival last Saturday was hailed as a great success.

The Friends of High Beeches School (FOHBS) in Harpenden swapped the annual summer fair for its first-ever festival at the premises in Aldwickbury Crescent and around 300 visitors came along during the afternoon and into the evening.

Outside bodies set up stalls at the fair including the RSPB, Harpenden Guides, Herts Spinners and Weavers, Indian head massages, manicures, pottery decoration and arts and crafts.

There were also traditional hand-turned and hand-made organs, plants sales, a sweet stall, a bottle tombola and inflatables.

Interactive story-telling regaled younger children at a reading workshop and there was also a children’s entertainer, a Taekwodo display, St Albans Young Miscellany, a Bollywood dance display and workshop and three live bands.

Every ticket purchased before 4.30pm gave entrance to the festival and a free cream tea but there was also a barbecue and a beer tent.

To the delight of FOHBS, the weather was kind to the festival, although the wind damaged three gazebos/tents at one point on Saturday morning.

Said Andrew Dadswell, of FOHBS: “A big thank you to all those on FOHBS – and their spouses who didn’t see them for days beforehand – and all those who helped on the day.

“We would hope that this event will continue to grow over the next few yers and become an annual event that everyone will want to come to.”