The rain stayed away, the sun appeared and the bunting was out along Springfield Road. Everyone had spruced up their front gardens and set out their stalls for what has become an annual highlight for the town.

Now in its third year, the Springfield and Riverside Street Sale had its best turn-out yet. People from as far afield as Taunton headed down to these two little streets tucked away between the Basins and Swallowfield estate. Not many people know about this part of town – it’s off the main road, and unless you know someone who lives here, you’d never know it was there. The 19th Century terraced cottages that line the street were originally built by the Fox family as housing for the mill workers. With their friendly red brick facades and old-fashioned iron railings, they might look the same from the outside, but each one is unique – just as quirky and individual as the people who live there.

Perhaps being off the beaten track is what gives the street its strong sense of community spirit. Neighbours talk to each other, walk their dogs together, pop in and out of each other’s houses and the children play happily in the street – this is not just nostalgia, it’s Wellington in 2017!

On Sunday morning, the road was an almost car-less zone. People wandered happily along, enjoying the stalls and the sunshine. Gibby Swaine’s tea and cake stand on Riverside was buzzing with customers non-stop. “It’s been brilliant,” she said. “Exhausting but brilliant!”

Outside number 64 Springfield was an amazing spread of tiny, googly-eyed knitted sheep, each with a Ferrero Rocher chocolate in the middle. “We spend all year making these,” said Debby Phillips. “Me, my mum and my daughter Clare. We all love making things and people just love these little sheep.” Debby’s wildlife photography was also on display, with some great shots of the resident swans and their cygnets on the Basins.

Some were selling to raise money, or awareness – for Leukemia Research, for example. Others were looking to turn their clutter into cash. Hilary Roy of Beech Grove served delicious hot home-made samosas and Indian chai to go towards her grandson Roshan’s expedition to Madagascar next year.

“I don’t want to wait another whole year,” I overheard one of the residents saying. “Maybe we should do it again – in the summer!” Watch this space. CONTRIBUTED