Final preparations were being made today for the start of the annual Christmas Fayre, in Bury St Edmunds, with organisers keeping a wary eye on the weather forecast.

Stallholders were arriving and setting up, the Abbey Gardens was closed to visitors, and fingers were being crossed that the high winds would not disrupt the plans over the next four days.

The forecast for the weekend is fine but cooler with temperatures hovering around 5 degrees.

And Sharon Fairweather, the event manager, was bouyant 24 hours before the start of the fayre.

“It’s all going well and we are just hoping that the wind doesn’t effect stallholders but we are making everyone aware and hopefully it will drop before the firework display,” she said.

Up to 120,000 people are expected to attend the event which covers most of the town centre including the Abbey Gardens, the Athenaeum, Angel Hill, Hatter Street, St John’s Street, The Traverse, the Cathedral car park, the Arc Shopping Centre, the Apex, and also features the street market in and around the Buttermarket and the Cornhill plus a farmers’ market.

There are 300 stall holders and up to 180 coaches coming to the town which will be parked at the Rougham lorry park and Nowton Park. They will be coming from far and wide including one from Wales and others from Leicester, Nottingham and Kent as well as many from East Anglia.

Seventy per cent of stallholders are from East Anglia and Essex with one coming as far away as the Highlands, in Scotland, and another from Wales.

There will be increased police presence with some armed officers and dogs on patrol to keep the crowds safe and secure.

It all starts from 2pm tomorrow with a latern parade at 5pm, followed by the East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) Carol Concert in St Edmundsbury Cathedral at 6pm, and fireworks in the Abbey Gardens at 7.45pm.

The fayre then resumes from 9am to 8pm on both the Friday and Saturday and from 10am to 5pm on the Sunday.

Meanwhile, the brewing team at Greene King have been getting well and truly in the spirit as managing director of Brewing & Brands, Clive Chesser, and master brewer Craig Bennett joined forces to deliver the beer fresh from the brewery to the Angel Hill where Greene King will host its annual beer tent and stand inside the Athenaeum.

This year brewers have selected five special ales. They are Rocking Rudolph, Old Mulled Hen, Abbott Reserve, Well Red and Rein Bier.

Mr Chesser said: “Beer doesn’t get any fresher than straight from the brewery and with only a few hundred metres to travel it’s as delicious as it comes.”

For full details go to the

website www.burystedmundschristmasfayre.co.uk