Tuneful Treat in the Tea Tent With Pukaar at Sparsholt College

   Sue Ganter, May 2006

Sparsholt College Countryside Day had never heard anything like it - the tastiest treats in the tea tent were definitely of the tuneful variety! It was worth the long trek even from the furthest point in the car park to find Pukaar performing with their usual flair and enthusiasm to an audience who at times blocked the entrance to the tea tent to get a glimpse. On a day that threatened rain, some of the crowds were glad to find a place to sit and recover from exploring the huge Sparsholt site, with the bonus of a wide ranging choice of musical entertainment as is typical of Pukaar. As they were described in the programme as Asian musicians, being able to recognise numbers they could sing along to must have confused a few listeners! The ever changing and growing line up Pukaar offer included Jeanpy and John, who lived up to the high standards we have come to expect from Romail and Burry Upton and rest of the team.

Sparsholt College offered a great day out for all the family – miniature steam engines, greenhouses and gardens, ferret racing and falconry, farm animals and tractor rides, Celia creating wooden sculptures before our eyes – a traditionally English flavour to the Countryside Day that had an exotic twist with the presence of the multi cultural Pukaar. It is to be hoped they will be there next year!