Goosey Fair

The livestock market on Whitchurch Road continues the tradition with live geese and poultry being available for sale at public auction on the day itself, whilst some of the town's cafés and restaurants usually offer special goose themed menus.

[2] From the mid-1850s to the late 1960s, the Southern and GWR railway lines that once served Tavistock brought people in from outlying villages and the town's platforms were often awash with litter and drunken stragglers by the end of the day.

[2] Unlike today, in the early 20th century, people from other surrounding villages did not always travel to the fair partly because of its reputation but also from the fact that the journey had to be made on foot in the days before public road transport.

[6] The fair's rowdy atmosphere must have been in stark contrast to the more genteel charabanc picnic outings and paddle steamer excursions that were popular in the Tamar Valley area during the Edwardian era.

A version by Bob Cann and an unnamed singer recorded by Keith Summers is held by the British Library Sound Archive[10] Directed by Clive Gunnell and produced by Westward Television, an award-winning regional TV documentary film "To Tavistock Goosey Fair" [11] was made in 1977 and was later published as a companion book.

[13] The fair traditionally provided a platform for livestock trading and other commercial activities, gradually evolving into a recurring social event for the community and attracting numerous visitors from surrounding areas.