The 8th Bridport Hat
Festival took place in a gloriously sunny week at the end of this summer. Bridport is a small but thriving market town in
the south of England, only a couple of miles from the stunning Jurassic coast – a wonderful setting for a hat festival and a great place to visit.
Dorset, England
31 August - 3 September 2017 By Katy Mackenzie
I
Bridport Hat Festival
have wanted to see the Festival for myself for a few years so I was delighted to put it in the diary this year – I am pleased to say, it didn’t
disappoint! The Festival boasts a full timetable and is superbly organised by a hardworking committee that takes months to prepare for this wonderful event. Started in 2010, by local hat shop owner Roger Snook, this Bridport Hat Festival has grown year on year and becomes more widely known both at grass roots level and within the hat industry. An impressive list of local businesses donate time, money and expertise too. Events are arranged throughout the week, culminating in ‘Haturday’ itself. As well as the many competitions, there are children’s workshops, a quiz, an auction of hats, live music performances, food and drink stalls, a ‘hatted’ keep fit class, millinery and trade displays, adult millinery courses, and even psychic hat readings.
Novelty hats created by visitors of the event
On the Saturday and Sunday there was a range of hat and millinery trade stands in the Arts Centre. Long standing firms such as Parkin Fabrics, the International Feltmakers Association and Janet Williams (owner of Hats-A- Head) were there, alongside more recent newcomers such as Dorothy Morant. Sally Ward was also promoting her Millinery Workshops. The Best Hat and Millinery Trade Stand Display was won by Patricia Pentecost at Just
14 | the hat magazine #75
As a fundraiser, the Festival delivers. This year’s charities, as before, were Brain Tumour Research and the Brain Injury Rehabilitation Trust. With all proceeds including the Hat Auction, raffle and public donations contributing to the charities and increasing awareness, there is an extra sense of purpose.
Novelty hats
At the heart of the festival are the ever- inventive hats being created and worn by the public, as well as treasured family hats, novelty hats and more serious fashionista regalia. For those who wished to acquire or brush up on their millinery skills there were courses on the Friday and Saturday run by Denise Innes-Spencer (British School of Millinery). Denise, who has just published a beautiful book called ‘Tiara Headdresses’, shared her expertise on ‘Wedding headdresses with wire’, ‘Non- slip headbands’, ‘Rolling fabric trimmings’ and ‘Sinamay shapes.’
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84
