OVER 2 MILES OF HANDMADE FLAGS NOW ADORN DUNSTER VILLAGE

After months of hard work behind the closed doors of the homes of Dunster, more than two miles of beautiful, handmade bunting is gently fluttering in the wind up and down the village and Marsh. The brainchild of the team at the Dunster Tourism Forum (DTF), it really has brought the community together during the difficult says of lockdown and now it is making our visitors smile.

With 15 volunteers cutting, sewing and binding there was enough bunting to stretch all the way from the Visitor Centre by the A39 out to the Dunster Surgery. The bunting here was made by our youngest volunteer, Sky Golding, aged just 14. Day trippers will be delighted to see that the iconic ancient Yarn Market has not missed out. This ancient monument, which took a hit from a cannon ball in the Civil War, is now sporting a woollen pom pom rainbow and 200m of bunting!

Susan Ashton who masterminded the team of volunteers and is responsible for many meters of bunting herself says: “We had an incredible response to the idea for the Bunting Bonanza. That’s why, during lockdown, if you walked around the deserted streets of Dunster, you might have heard the gentle hum of a sewing machine. We want to thank everyone who contributed to this amazing community effort – the crafters who made the bunting, those who contributed funds and fabrics, the team who erected the display. And through the power of social media and the TV, we had bunting sent to us from ladies in Cornwall and donations from as far afield as the USA. When we see the buzz the bunting has created and hear the positive comments from visitors to our beautiful village we all have a huge sense of pride. It’s amazing what you can achieve when you come together.”

The aim is to maintain the bunting until October half-term, then remove, wash and repair it – ready for re-hanging at Easter 2021.