THE sun shone, the ice cream seller was doing roaring business, the teas were poured and the ‘blowing up of the bouncy castle’ ceremony was under way.

But as the minutes ticked towards noon and the official opening time the only thing missing from Wimblington’s Fun Day on Sunday was a public address system.

Editor John Elworthy was primed to open the four hours of community enterprise and fund raising but with 40 or so stalls dotted across the spacious War Memorial Playing Field even his voice looked to be in danger of not being heard.

But true to the spirit of representing a newspaper with 139 years of tradition to support it, a little matter of a PA system was not going to prevent an official opening.

With several leaps – and not a few bounds - Mr Elworthy decided to race round the ground, with parish council chairman Maureen Davis and organiser Craig Brown by his side, to officially open each stall.

And so for 15 glorious minutes the pair bounded up to the allotment and garden association, dropped in on the Wimbo Kids, met up with the Diamond Jubilee committee, March Museum, face painters, classic car exhibitors, the ladies from Avon, Breathe Easy campaigners and a plethora of others.

They included the Anchor’s home-made lemonade stall (at 50p a glass magnificent value) and not forgetting the Golden Lion from Stonea which had brought along its bouncy castle.

“By the time we got to the bouncy castle I think both Maureen and I were running out of steam,” admitted Mr Elworthy. “But in the spirit of the day we took off our shoes, threw caution to the wind and accepted an invitation to clamber onto the bouncy castle. A sight not for the faint hearted.”

Opening ceremonies duly attended to, the event built up steam with agility dog trials and children’s games adding to the afternoon festivities.

There was also a display from the Soham Majorettes to captivate the crowd as well as the first public display of the hotel and housing plans for the Priory Golf Centre.