ORGANISERS of a Christmas fair were forced to make an emergency trip to their local supermarket when they ran out of mulled wine.

The volunteer group, Friends of Bold Venture Park, who hosted the festive event, called Christmas in Bold Venture, made the mad dash to Sainsbury’s after they were overrun with Christmas revellers who were keen to have a tipple while enjoying the entertainment.

The fair, held on Sunday in the Scout Hut on Manor Road in Darwen, even saw people queuing outside, desperate for a mince pie and glass of the hot stuff.

Julie Manton, chair of the park group, said: “It was a fantastic event and at one point people were queuing out of the door, but we’ll be sure to be much better prepared next year.”

As well as the mulled wine and mince pies, the afternoon included carol singing, led by Darwen Ladies Choir.

The Friends of Bold Venture Park 2020 calendar was also on sale, showcasing stunning photographs taken from winning entries of a photographic competition held earlier in the year.

Ms Manton added: “We made £445.25 from sales of food, drink and the calendars, with all profits being used to support much-needed projects within Bold Venture Park.

“There’s so little funding for the park from the council, even for basic maintenance, that we badly need to raise money from events like Sunday’s.

“That’s why, to mark the start of Advent we have now reduced the price of our calendars to £5 each and we are happy to mail them to those who wish to buy one.”

For calendar sales please contact the Friends of Bold Venture Park on fobvpdarwen@gmail.com, or find them on Facebook.