MORE than 1,000 people turned out for this year s Royston May Fayre – and despite the threatening weather the event was described as a success . There was plenty of clowning around from the comedy trampoline act Tumblairs and a display from Paws for Tho

MORE than 1,000 people turned out for this year's Royston May Fayre - and despite the threatening weather the event was described as a "success".

There was plenty of clowning around from the comedy trampoline act Tumblairs and a display from Paws for Thought, a dog training team.

And outside the arena one visitor who attracted attention was Colin Pillinger, the man behind the Beagle space probe which was planned to land on Mars to gather scientific material.

It is believed, however, that the Beagle crashed on landing.

And there were plenty of crash landings as visitors attempted to reach Mars in an attraction set up by members of the Royston Round Table.

Members had been working for weeks on the project which set out to re-create a Mars landing on a smaller although not less ambitious scale.

Round Table member Simon Whybrow said: "It took a long time to prepare and even in the last week there were modifications to get it right."

The group's spokesman Arend Jan van Boschoven said the attraction had been a "great success".

The Round Table also raised £250 for the East Anglian Air Ambulance and this will be matched by the Melbourn-based company TTP.

He said, too, that there were a number of people who showed an interest in joining the Round Table.

The event was organised by Royston Town Council, the Rotary Club of Royston, the Royston Lions and the Royston Round Table.

Town clerk Celia Walpole said: "It was a successful day all round. There was a good turnout which was better than expected bearing in mind what the weather was like in the morning."

In the town hall there was a bi-annual handy craft exhibition and people had the opportunity to see the latest work on the Royston tapestry.

The other attraction was the classic car show with vehicles on display in the town hall car park.

The American serviceman's name was Harold Kunz, who was described by Mrs Pardo as an "extremely friendly man" who got on well with all the locals.

Harold can be seen chatting to Rosie Truran, also from Whaddon, and the woman with her back to the camera is Rosie's sister Muriel, who was known as Midge. Serving behind the bar was Gertrude Brookes, the pub landlady.

Mrs Pardo said: "I knew Mrs Brookes very well from the community. She ran the pub for a number of years and everyone liked her as she was really friendly."

Sue Rattenbury-Reynolds also identified the Waggon and Horses and Mrs Brookes behind the bar was, in fact, her grandmother, Gertrude.

Sue said: "It was lovely to open The Crow and see my nan's face on the page. It was such a surprise.

"My grandparents, Edward and Gertrude, ran the pub for years and my mum Dorothy was actually born there.

"I regularly visited and spent many hours in the pub, although not in the bar - I was far too young."

Sue remembers the US servicemen who were based at Bassingbourn.

She said: "I met many US airmen in the pub. I'll always remember how they used to bring huge boxes of sweets and chocolate with them."

The pub later changed its name to The Antelope and has now been converted to a private property.